


The Lunar Batman Chronicles

by AJMcLeod



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Characters are probably hella ooc, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Dick Grayson-centric, Dubious Consent, F/M, Gen, Hostile take over, How Do I Tag, Hurt Dick Grayson, I Tried, I waved at canon as I drove by, I'm Sorry, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Not Beta Read, Romani Dick Grayson, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Tim disappeared halfway through, it started out simple, no editing we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23196046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJMcLeod/pseuds/AJMcLeod
Summary: The Lunar Chronicles meet Batman.Queen Levana Blackburn has fulfilled her quest to take over the Earth, which she did efficiently. The remaining members of the Justice League lead an underground rebellion against her. When she finds out she's determined to stop it. How will things end for the world's greatest heroes.
Relationships: Crescent Moon "Cress" Darnel/Carswell Thorne, Dick Grayson/Zatanna Zatara, Levana Blackburn/Kai, Scarlet Benoit/Wolf | Ze'ev Kesley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Laying the foundation

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, so I've had this sitting on my computer trying to polish it to perfection. But I decided that it needed to be shared and not sent through a hundred rounds of critique. So here it is in it's mostly unedited glory. I do want to say I'm sorry up front if some characters appear briefly only to disappear completely a short time later. *cough here's looking at you Tim cough* They aren't characters that I'm super familiar with and have a hard time getting into the headspace for plus there are A LOT of people in this. This whole thing came about from a scene in a movie that I saw once upon a time. I tried not to get too graphic because I want people to be able to read this without puking or having to skip whole scenes. The rating may change if I feel the content is too much. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. I welcome reviews, I just ask for kindness. Also if it's not something to your taste that's fine, feel free to nope out of it. 
> 
> UPDATE 3/18/20 for some reason the site was being odd last night and glitching on me. So here is the background information for where the story starts  
> • The End of Winter didn’t happen.  
> • The Rampion crew are all missing or presumed dead  
> • Levana forced world leaders to abdicate their seats of power to her  
> • Kai is essentially under house arrest. He goes to public outings with her and Winter, but always under heavy guard  
> • Lunar Special Operatives and Thaumaturges take over peacekeeping duties  
> • Levana does a simulcast informing the world populace that she is now their Queen  
> • Heroes do not take the news well  
> • The Justice League are hunted down. Those who survive go into hiding  
> • The Bats help an underground resistance movement  
> • Levana discovers the Gotham based resistance cell and sets her base of operations there

Dick Grayson climbed the stairs to the manor as the sun peeked over the horizon. All he wanted was his bed. Since Her Serene Majesty Levana had taken over, he’d moved back into Wayne Manor so he wouldn’t have to explain his late-night activities to the Lunar Special Operatives or their handlers. There was enough suspicion going around without proof that he aided the resistance.

After a long night of helping those impoverished by Levana’s forces, Dick was dead on his feet. His eyes passed the gritty stage hours ago. Willpower alone kept them open. 

Something rattled behind him. He whirled around ready to throw a wingding at the intruder. Thankfully, the bat’s control training kept him from impaling Clark Kent pushing himself along in a wheelchair. 

How the Lunar forces figured out Clark’s weakness was kryptonite and weaponized it within their first week on Earth was still anyone’s guess. One shot in the back struck the exact spot to cripple him. Still hunted by Levana, Clark and his family had moved into the manor shortly afterward, using the zeta tube in the Batcave to transport back and forth to Metropolis. Fortunately for Lois, she had enough clout at _The Daily Planet_ to work remotely. Superman was still part of the remaining Justice League, but they’d had to revert to more covert tactics since the Lunar invasion. 

“Sorry Uncle Clark.” Dick muttered out an apology. He needed rest, pronto.

Clark stared up at the former Robin. “Just get back from patrol?”

“If that’s what we’re calling it these days.”

“Keep your chin up, kid. We’ll push them back.” 

Typically, he shared the Man of Steel’s endless optimism, but at the moment he just couldn’t keep it up. “Yeah…and maybe pigs will fly.”

He’d just set foot on the first step of staircase when the screen reserved solely for Her Majesticness’ news broadcast blared to life.

“You’ve got to be bloody kidding me!” Dick growled.

Clark raised an eyebrow at the young man.

“I just want to sleep. I’ve been up all night.” 

The Lunar royal anthem played over the speakers. “Attention citizens of Gotham City.” Vicky Vale smiled into the camera. “Her Royal Majesty requests that all persons seeing this broadcast assemble at Robinson Park at Noon for an exciting announcement.”

“Is the woman insane?” Tim Drake walked up as the message repeated. “She does know this is Gotham, home to the craziest villains the world has ever known, right?”

“I don’t think she cares, Timmy.” Dick pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. “Did this play down in the cave?”

“I will not be ordered about in this fashion! I am the grandson of Ra’s Al Ghul and heir to the mantle of the Bat!” Damian’s voice shrieked down the marble hallway.

“That would be a yes.” Clark wheeled himself to his and Lois’ bedroom.

“Oi, Spawn, shut it!” Jason growled from the banister. 

Dick’s youngest brother, and Bruce’s only biological son, appeared in the entryway with his arms crossed over his league of shadows suit. 

Bruce joined the crowd. “I take it you all heard the announcement?”

Dick let out a breath. “Yeah, B, when do we have to leave?”

“A couple of hours. Everyone who was out last night should get some rest.”

“I demand to stay here.” Damian glared at his father.

“Dami, kiddo, if I have to go, you have to go.” Dick fought back a yawn as he wrapped an arm around the thirteen-year-old’s shoulder.

The boy fought against his hold. “Unhand me, Grayson. If you insist, I will attend this gathering, if for nothing else than to keep your big mouth from getting you into trouble.”

“Sure thing, squirt.” Dick laughed as they headed upstairs.

Dick could have sworn he’d only just drifted off when a knock woke him. “Time already?” He groaned sitting up.

Jason poked his head in the room. “’Fraid so.” 

“You’re going to this thing, too? Isn’t that one of the perks of being legally dead?”

The younger man shrugged a shoulder. “I’m curious about what she’s gonna say.”

“Bow down and worship me in all my other worldly beauty!” Dick shifted his voice into a mocking falsetto. 

“That was scary close to what she really said.”

“I remember.” Dick grabbed a hoodie from the end of his bed. “We knew life existed on other planets, but I don’t think anyone saw an army coming from the moon.”

“You can say that again. You ready?”

“Yes Jaybird, let’s get this over with.”

*~*

As Dick expected, Robinson Park was full to overflowing with Gothamites. Someone had set up seating close to the platform for the city’s elite. Being the Wayne family, they of course got front row view of the spectacle.

At five minutes to noon, the park’s sound system played the Lunar anthem. The gathered crowd murmured among themselves as an Escalade stopped at a heavily secured entrance. The backdoor opened offloading its passengers. Levana stepped out first followed by Emperor Kaito and a young girl who had to be the queen’s stepdaughter, Winter.  
Everyone gathered stared at the trio as they approached the platform. When the man and girl were settled into their seats, Levana turned her attention to the crowd. Everyone dropped to one knee. A second later, Dick forced himself to kneel. Everyone, even Damian murmured out “Long live the queen.” 

“Today is a cause for celebration.” The queen’s voice carried over the crowd.

Unlike her video broadcasts, she wore no veil. And he understood why she wore them every other time he’d seen her. Her face was misshapen. The left side was mottled, and it honestly reminded him of the scorched side of Harvey Dent’s face. Was this the other worldly beauty she claimed to possess? 

“Everyone, please have a seat.” Levana called out. 

As soon as he was settled, Damian leaned into Dick’s side. “Are you well, Grayson?”

“I’m fine.” He ruffled his kid brother’s hair. “What’s with the bowing, I thought you refused to bow to anyone?”

“I couldn’t help myself.” The teenager sulked. 

“B, we need to compare notes when we get home.” Dick whispered.

Bruce gave an affirmative grunt.

“My dear citizens,” Levana straightened some notes on the lectern. “I would like to announce, it is with great joy that I have decided to make Gotham my home for the foreseeable future. Your generous welcome warms my heart and I hope we can live in harmony, both Earthen and Lunar together.”

Several flashbulbs went off. Reporters shouted questions. A panicked look crossed Levana’s face as her soldiers made their way to the press. The cameras went down. And much to Dick’s disbelief, they just handed their equipment over to the Thaumaturges.

_What has gotten into everyone?_

*~*

As soon as the door to the SUV closed, Levana erupted in rage. “I want that boy brought in, immediately!”

“I’m surprised he had the willpower to hesitate.” Kai rubbed his jaw, sore from where he’d been clenching it since they took the stage. 

“You will be silent if you want to see daylight again, _husband_.” Levana growled. 

“I think he was handsome.” Winter’s sing song voice drew her stepmother’s attention. 

“Winter.” Levana took a deep breath. “Please keep your delusions to yourself.”

Aimery shot the princess a disapproving look. “My Queen, I will personally see to it that the young man is brought to your court.”

“Who is he?” Levana snapped.

The third tier Thaumaturge tapped his fingers on a tablet. The results from his search hovered in the air. “His name is Richard Grayson-Wayne. Oldest adopted son of Gotham native Bruce Wayne.”

“Adopted, what of his birth family?”

Aimery continued to tap away at the tablet’s screen. “It would seem the files are sealed, My Queen. But I will have the information when I bring him to you. Would you pref—”

Levana held up a hand. “Find what you can, then we’ll interrogate him. What of his adopted family?”

“Mr. Wayne has quite the reputation as a ladies’ man, but nothing subversive in his background. Of his remaining three children, only one is his biologically. A Damian Al Ghul-Wayne, 13-years-old and only in his father’s care for three years. Jason Todd-Wayne was rescued from a crime alley orphanage in his early teen years. He was assumed dead, but  
someone matching his description appeared with a name change and some apparent anger issues.” Aimery read the information.

A smile tugged at the corner of Levan’s mouth. “Intriguing, talk to one of the lower-tier Thaumaturges to see if they have an opening for a Special Operative experiment.” 

“Yes, My Queen. Would you care to hear about the other Wayne boy, Timothy Drake-Wayne?”

“Unless he’s one of those blasted superheroes, no.” She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “But keep a close watch on him and the youngest to be safe.”


	2. Unexpected Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wayne family only _thought_ they were done with Levana.  
> Dick learns something about his heritage  
> Jason gets a rather unpleasant surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> So this is where the No Beta We Die Like Men and No Editing come in. I'd had a few people go over chapter one just to catch things I missed, buuuut I didn't do that for this one. I made a run through before posting it here, but sometimes we don't always catch our own mistakes.
> 
> As always I do love comments, I just ask that you please be kind.

As soon as they returned from the announcement in the park, Dick headed straight to his room to change. Despite his body begging for sleep, he needed answers and he thought best while flying through the air. The entire batclan had compared notes on the way home and no one else had seen the Queen the way he had. Why had he been the only one? Why had he been the only one without the inexplicable drive to bow? It wasn’t like he didn’t know how to blend in. If he had known they were supposed to bow, he would have.  
He entered the training room, the one outfitted with gymnastics equipment. Dick thanked whoever was listening that he’d been taken in by a billionaire who hadn’t thought twice about installing equipment to make his ward feel like he was back at the circus. With a running start, he jumped and swung himself up to the bar. Going through his usual routine helped to calm him down and clear his mind…except today. It was almost like everyone but him had gotten a memo of how things were. He considered the facts, but that didn’t change the question of why.

He finished the routine, but the answers to his questions still evaded him. _Maybe I can use the Batcave’s computer to dig up some answers after I shower_. Normally he’d just go down and work on it, but he’d already had enough of Damian’s jabs that day and didn’t want to risk it. Picking up a bottle of water, he drained a quarter of it in one gulp. He was about to open the door and head up to his room when the intercom buzzed.

“Master Dick, your presence is requested in the study.” Alfred’s voice sounded tinny in the speaker.

Dick mashed the speak button. “Can it wait, Alfie? I just got done working out.”

“I’m afraid not, sir. I believe the word immediately was used.”

The old Englishman was being extraordinarily cryptic. “Okay, be there in a sec.” 

Dick grabbed the water bottle and headed for the study. That was weird, they never had guests in that room. 

When he stepped through the doorway, the last thing he expected to see was a bevy of Thaumaturges and the Lunar wolf-soldiers taking up the room. A dark-skinned man, dressed differently from the rest, stood off to the side.

“Bruce, what’s going on?” Dick glanced around at his family who were giving the Lunars the full Batglare.

“Richard Grayson?” The dark-skinned man tucked his hands into his bell-shaped sleeves. “I am Thaumaturge Park, her majesty would like to have a word with you.”

“Wasn’t exactly talking to you, but thanks for the answer.” He raised an eyebrow. “And I go by Dick.”

Bruce cleared his throat. “It would be in your—our best interest if you went with them.”

“Father, this is unacceptable!” Damian shouted. “They have no reas—”

“Silence!” The Thaumaturge held up a hand cutting the boy off. 

Damian clawed at his neck like he couldn’t breathe. His face turned red before taking on an alarming shade of purple.

“I’ll go, just stop.” Dick held up his hands.

Damian collapsed on the ground wheezing. “Richard, no.” 

“I’ll be fine, Dames. Look after Dad.”

Thaumaturge Park grinned. “I’m so glad you saw reason.”

“Hard not to when you’re strangling my brother. Which I still don’t get how you did.” Dick folded his arms. “And would her majesticness mind if I took a shower, I’m sure she’d rather not get too close to me right now.”

Park nodded to the wolf-soldiers. “Seize him. And find the one called Jason Todd.”

Bruce stood, straightening to his full height. “You asked for Dick and he’s willing to go. Why do you need another one of my sons?”

The Thaumaturge stared at Bruce who sank back against his desk. “Her majesty had him in mind for a special project.”

“That’s not gonna go over well.” Dick laughed. “Jason doesn’t play well with others.”

At that moment, Jason’s shouts could be heard echoing through the halls.

“Nevertheless, she has requested his presence, and one does not deny my queen.”

The wolf-soldiers burst into the room. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Jason growled.

“Your queen requests your presence.” Park stood toe to toe with the man. “You will accompany us under your own free will, or under my control.”

Jason’s face flushed red. “Screw you, I’m going back to bed.”

He’d no sooner thrown off the wolf-soldiers, an impressive feat, than the Thaumaturge narrowed his eyes. Dick struggled against his captors as he watched his brother drop like a rag doll. When he stood again, his movements were jerky almost like he was fighting for control of his own body.

“We’ll figure something out boys. I promise.” Bruce called to his two oldest. 

Dick turned his head back for a final glimpse. His father remained where he was, but the veins in his neck stood out. Levana would likely be getting a visit from the Batman if she wasn’t careful.

*~*

Levana paced the marble hallways of City Hall. It was primitive, but it would have to do until she could set up a permanent residence. She waited impatiently for Aimery to return with the Wayne boys, the actions of the eldest one still rankled.

“Your majesty.” A second-tier Thaumaturge broke her from her thoughts.

“What?”

“There are three ‘rogues’ here to see you.” 

“Who are these rogues? Should I know of them?” Levana glared at the underling.

“They seem to be a group of villains who call this city home. They’ve come of their own free will and would like to assist you.”

“Show them in but stand by. If they show signs of insubordination, eliminate them.”

“Yes, my queen.” 

The Thaumaturge returned a moment later with three women. The first, and the clear leader of the group was covered with plants. Her skin was tinged green, but her hair stood out in its almost unnatural shade of red. The second, a blonde woman who resembled an old Earthen court jester. The third, and perhaps most ridiculously dressed of all, wore black with cat ears on top of her short black hair. The minute all three were inside the room, they dropped to one knee.

“Your Majesty.” The red head murmured.

“You have manners, I’ll give you that.” Levana crossed her arms and stared the women down. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“Pamela Isley, your Majesty. But most here know me as Poison Ivy. We, that is Harley, Catwoman, and me, would like to offer our services to you. We are well familiar with Gotham’s heroes and have little love for them. We believe we could assist you in routing the resistance breeding here.”

“And how do you know there is a resistance breeding here?” The queen tapped a finger on her arm.

“There’s always someone who has a vendetta against the Bat.” The blonde spoke up. Her thick accent and high-pitched voice grated on Levana’s ears. “If there’s a resistance, he’ll be at the heart of it.”

“You will remain silent in my presence. But say I do accept your offering, what is the price for your loyalty. Your kind have resisted me since my marriage to Emperor Kaito.”

“All we ask your majesty is freedom. To do what we do best without fear of repercussion.” The woman dressed as a Cat spoke up.

“And what is it that you do best? Catwoman, I assume?”

The black clad woman dipped her head. “Ivy just wants to see mankind think about what they’re doing to the environment and to stop killing plants. I want to relieve the undeserving wealthy of their treasures. Harley has very few wants, but she’d make a wonderful enforcer.” 

“I have my own enforcers, why would I need another?”

“She can tell you where your biggest threats are. Namely those currently residing in Arkham Asylum.”

Levana narrowed her eyes at the three. Arkham Asylum sounded promising. The facilities would be used for experimentation, starting with Jason Todd-Wayne. “Very well, I will accept your help after you’ve proven your loyalty to me.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. We’re happy to be of service.”

“Harley, clean out Arkham. I may have need of it today. And I’d rather not have to handle unpleasant persons.” Levana snapped her fingers and three Thaumaturges entered. 

“Assist Harley with what she needs.”

“Yes, my queen.” They answered as the three left the room.

“Catwoman.”

“My queen?”

“Do you know how to use that whip you’re carrying?”

“I do, Your Majesty.”

“Good. I’ll have one of my guards show you somewhere you can be comfortable until I need your skills.”

Only Ivy remained kneeling, in the echoing corridor. Levana stopped in front of her. “Stand to your feet and tell me about your plants.”

*~*

Once he was in the back of the car, Dick rolled out his shoulders.

“How come you got an escort out and I had to walk out under someone else’s control?” Jason hissed in his ear.

“I dunno, Jay. Probably the same reason that we had such different experiences at the park earlier.”

“I don’t like having them control what I do. Feels too much like Pit Madness.” Jason leaned over, resting his head on Dick’s shoulder.

Jason wasn’t a tactile person on his best days and high-stress situations tended to drive him further away from people. If he sought out physical contact, things were really messed up.

“I’m sorry, Jay. I don’t think this is one of those things I can just make better. As much as I want to.”

“What do you think she wants?”

“She wants information out of me. No clue why she wants you.” Jason stiffened next to Dick. “That came out wrong.”

“Don’t worry about it, Dickie, I know what you meant.”

The brothers stayed that way until the car reached the city center. As soon as the doors opened, the wolf-soldiers and Thaumaturges grabbed the boys and led them inside City Hall.

A guard met them just inside the door. “The Queen wants that one,” he nodded to Jason. “Transported to the Asylum. The other is to remain here.”

“The Asylum? Like Arkham? Oh. Hell. No!” Jason fought to free himself of the wolf-soldiers holding him. 

“Be still.” One of the Thaumaturges held out her hand. Jason stopped thrashing, but from the wild look in his eye, he was fighting with everything he had in him. 

“You don’t know what you’re doing. Please let him go.” Dick pleaded. Green started to creep over Jason’s irises, a signal that he was seconds away from going into a rage.  
“You would be wise to remember your place.” Park growled planting a fist in Dick’s gut. 

He collapsed to his knees, watching helplessly as his brother was dragged off. “What is wrong with you?”

Park grabbed a fist full of hair and yanked Dick’s head back. “The better question is what is wrong with you.” He nodded to the wolf-soldiers. “Follow the guard while I see what Her Majesty plans to do with him.”

They hauled Dick to his feet, half dragging him to an interrogation room. They shoved him in a chair, binding his hands behind him. 

He worked his wrists trying to get out of whatever they’d used. He doubted even dislocating his thumb would help. And then there was the fact that he’d have to fight his way through Wolfman and Company. _Can this day get any worse?_

He struggled for a few more minutes when Park returned.

“Did she decide she didn’t want to see me after all?” Dick leaned back in the chair.

The Thaumaturge walked around the room, studying him. “Her Majesty decided to leave the questioning to me. Now, why don’t you tell me your real name?”

“If it’ll help get me out of here…Richard John Grayson-Wayne.” 

“And your parents?”

“John and Mary Grayson, I don’t know their middle names. They were killed when I was nine.” He tried to keep the venom from his tone. He had a feeling the Lunars were going to drag his parents’ names through the mud.

“And where were they from?” Park continued his circle around the room.

“No idea man.”

Park struck Dick with back of his hand. “Where were they from?”

The tang of copper filled his mouth. “We were Romani that performed with a circus. We didn’t have a traditional home.” 

“Romani?”

Dick heaved a sigh, of course the Lunars didn’t know. “A traditional nomadic group of people.”

“Interesting. And they never discussed living life on the run?”

“Grew up in a circus, we were literally always moving.”

“And what did they do in the circus?” Park leaned forward getting in Dick’s space.

“We were acrobats. The Flying Graysons. Is this what her majesticness wanted to know cause there’s a Wikipedia page about it.” 

“What would you say, if I told you your family was Lunar?” 

Dick rolled his eyes. “I’d say you’re crazy. But that seems to be the general consensus for you guys anyway.”

“There was a family that escaped from Luna 26 years ago.” Park struck him again before pulling up a photo of a man and woman that looked just like his parents.  
“No way. That’s photoshopped.” 

“Photo…shopped?” Park tilted his head to the side.

“Don’t have that term on Luna? Manipulating pictures?” Dick studied it. “It’s a good one. But can’t be real.”

Park clasped his hands behind his back. “Let me tell you something. We Lunars have a gift. We can sense and manipulate bioelectricity. It surrounds every living thing giving off what I call a steady hum. The stronger the gift, the better the control.”

Dick licked his lip. Blood had started to pool at the corner of his mouth. “So if I’m Lunar, as you’ve implied, then why don’t I have this gift?”

“Because, on Luna, there are a group called Shells. They are a danger to society due to their lack of gift. They can’t be controlled or sensed.”

“So you think I’m one of these shells?”

“I don’t think.” Aimery grabbed Dick’s chin and tilted it up. “I know. You don’t give off any bioelectricity.”

“What are you gonna do about it?” 

“That depends on Her Majesty. Typically being a shell is a death sentence. However, you seem to have been born before the law went into effect.” 

“Yeah dude, that didn’t answer my question.”

Aimery narrowed his eyes. If Dick were to be honest, he was sure the Thaumaturge wished he could choke him out. It wasn’t the first time his mouth had gotten him into trouble, and he doubted it would be the last.

The door to the room opened, revealing the queen. Up close, she her appearance was even more horrific. The ridges were still there, but now Dick could see that her left eye was sealed shut. The burn scars, since that part did look like Harvey Dent’s charred face, ran from her head down to her left wrist.

“Your Majesty, I was just finishing up my interrogation of the prisoner.” Aimery bowed.

“Do you seriously not see this?” Dick raised an eyebrow at the Thaumaturge. In an instant Levana stood before him, her sharp nails digging into his throat. “Did I strike a nerve, Queenie?”

She released him, a snarl twisting her lips even more. “Aimery, bring the _shell_ with us.” 

“Yes my queen.” Aimery freed Dick’s hands before hauling the young man to his feet.

A smirk worked its way across his face. “Don’t tell me you’ve gotten tired of me already.”

“Quite the contrary. You’re about to very useful to me.” The Queen turned and flounced out of the room, her dress forming a train behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also where the Hella OOC tag comes in. I know Dick probably wouldn't just accept the truth about his family without verifying it first, but he's not really in a position to do that. So, we're having to roll with the flow a little bit. I'm probably gonna post the next chapter tomorrow (if I can remember) because it's not like I have something else to do while everything's quarantined. 
> 
> Also don't know if you'd be interested, I made a tik tok account for the shenanigans at my job during this whole thing. It's user name NotActuallyALibrarian. I work at a library, we're closed to the public, but I still have to go in...craziness ensues.


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go from bad to worse for the boy wonder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I meant to upload every day, but as my job is considered essential where I'm at...I got busy with that. Plus a whole ton of drama that went down because of that. Anyway...
> 
> This chapter is the reason for the rating. There are hints of non con/dub con, this is your trigger warning now. It's nothing explicit since I toned it down because I didn't feel I did justice to Dick's recovery and I couldn't get him to where I needed him to be at the end of the story without glossing it over. That sort of thing isn't something that should be glossed over, even for the sake of moving a story along...soooo I changed things. If you want to read more into the scene or read between the lines, do so at your own risk. Conversely, if you want to skip it, it's the scene between the first and second breaks.

Dick fought against Aimery’s hold on his neck as they followed the Queen out into the waning daylight. She’d donned her veil before exiting City Hall. He had no idea where they were going, but as soon as they’d crossed the threshold, reporters swarmed them. He spotted Vicky Vale among them. _Of course she’s here._

“Your Majesty, can you tell us what made you bring Mr. Grayson into custody?” The blonde pointed a microphone at Levana.

“All will be explained tomorrow.” She dismissed them with a wave of her hand. To Dick’s everlasting surprise, the bloodthirsty paparazzi obeyed. 

Aimery muscled him into the back of a car which then sped off as soon as the door closed. 

“You know this whole silence thing is overrated.” Dick blurted out. “What do you want with me?”

Levana pressed a finger to his lips. “All in due time.”

Aimery finally let go of his neck, which was some relief. 

His head drooped several times as they drove. The sleep he’d neglected came for him in full force. 

The car stopped, suddenly his brain was wide awake. A glance out the tinted windows said they were at the nicest hotel in Gotham. At least she had the sense enough to stay in the higher end of things. Not that anyone in crime alley could touch her, but he doubted she’d be caught dead there.

Aimery’s hand clamped on the back of his neck for the second time that day. 

Dick’s tolerance for being manhandled hit an all-time low. “Dude, I’m smart enough not to run. Would you let go?” 

The queen nodded. 

He breathed a sigh of relief. 

She led them through the lobby to the row of elevators, where Aimery pushed a button. Dick had to roll his eyes. Was simply extending her hand too much for her?

Before long they were rocketing up to the penthouse. _Figures that’s where she’s staying._

They exited into the penthouse’s spacious entryway. 

“Aimery, make sure that we are not disturbed.” Levana removed her veil, placing it on a stand. “Mr. Grayson, if you would please.”

The polite tone of her voice unnerved him, but he followed her lead. She pushed through a set of massive doors into the master bedroom. 

“If you don’t mind my asking, what was the point of bringing me here?”

“Maybe I can explain that part.”

Dick turned. His chest clenched. Poison Ivy lounged in one of the overstuffed chairs. Shit.

“Your Majesty, since you’re new to Gotham. I feel I should warn you that the woman you see there is an eco-terrorist.” Dick backed up toward the door.

“I’m aware. She’s here at my behest. We’re conducting an experiment.” The scarred skin on Levana’s face pulled back in a gruesome smile. “Ivy, if you would be so kind.”

Ivy produced a puff from the vanity. She stalked toward him her gaze predatory. She stopped inches from his face. “Normally I like to try these things out myself. But the queen  
insisted. Ta ta Boy Wonder.” She whispered to him.

The puff smacked him in the face.

The powder coated his nose and throat. The particles burned as they entered his lungs. “What was that?” He coughed.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Ivy bowed to the queen. “Your Majesty, it’s been a pleasure working with you.”

*~*

Levana let the rogue out of the room. It was time to see if the experiment would work. She wanted, _needed,_ a legitimate heir to the Lunar throne. As much as it pained her to say, the citizens of Luna loved Winter. Fortunately for Levana, their superstition over keeping the Blackburn bloodline on the throne had kept a coup at bay, and Winter off the throne. Now she had a husband, it was expected to produce an heir. Except revulsion rolled off Kai every time he laid eyes on her. If Ivy’s concoction could make a worthless shell, who saw past the glamour, desire her, then it would work on Kai who saw what she wanted him to see.

She turned to her prisoner. She’d never had a problem making herself _look_ desirable, the men in Artemisia would give anything to spend the evening as the sole focus of their queen’s amorous attention. But this boy, this _shell_ , was she just supposed to stand there?

Her gaze found him. His blue eyes burned with desire. For her. He peeled himself away from the door, crossing the room in a few strides. 

His lips crashed onto hers. His fingers tangled in her hair. Hesitantly she reached up and carded her hands through his black locks. 

He broke the kiss, panting for air. “Is your experiment working?” He growled.

Levana nodded. The gravelly tone of his voice sent shivers down her spine.

He grabbed her waist, pulling her flush against him. “I don’t want to do this.” 

“Well you’re in luck, my experiment worked. I have no more need of you.” She pushed him away.

*~*

Cinder shivered in her cell. Her once white jumpsuit had turned brown ages ago. At least she assumed it had been a while. Time lost all meaning when you couldn’t see the sun. Or the moon, though that was a relief in itself. She was on Earth again. Her aunt had gloated about that one for nearly a week. They’d moved her a few days ago. She would have been able to pinpoint where she was, if the thick layers of her prison hadn’t interfered with the signal to the net. All she knew was her tiny square of space. Her guards either didn’t know she was under their watch, or just plain didn’t care. She’d moved around, her metal foot clanging against the hard floor. They fed her, but according to Levana it was only to keep Kai in line. Her heart squeezed. He was technically her uncle now. The thought made bile rise in her throat. She had a bucket for that sort of thing. She’d figured it out when she paced out the walls. 

She let her head drop to her knees. 

Before the waves of despair washed over her, her sound interface detected the door locks being opened. 

Bright sunlight hit her in the face.

The guards shoved a figure through the door before locking it again.

The person slid down the wall, vague shadows moving in the dim light.

“Who’s there?”

The person scrambled back toward the door. “No.”

“It’s all right, I won’t hurt you.” She reached out for them, him if the voice was anything to go on.

“You don’t want to be near me right now. I-I don’t want to attack you.”

“Okay.” She sat back against the wall. Her optobionics found his shape, but it was sketchy on the details. She supposed she could turn the sensitivity up, but what was the point.  
He clearly wanted to be alone.

Time passed with no conversation. Just the slow drip of water that had been her only companion the last several days. But a new noise joined in. She glanced around, landing on her cell mate. 

“I can hear your teeth chattering from over here.” 

“Sorry, after shock.”

“From what if I can ask?”

“Being with—” He turned to the corner and retched. 

Cinder reached out for the waste bucket and slid it to him. 

Once he’d emptied his stomach, he shifted. “Thanks.”

“Welcome.” She bit her lip. “You were with the queen?”

He shivered. “Yeah.”

“She has that bile producing effect on a lot of people.” 

“Probably not for the same reasons.” He moved his legs.

“Probably, though she is a monster. Her people live in fear of her.”

“And they can’t even see her real face.”

Cinder froze. “You can?”

“Unfortunately.”

She held her hand out to him, adjusting the light sensitivity on her retina display so she could actually see him. “Linh Cinder, how are you able to see past her glamour?”

He hesitated before shaking it. “Dick Grayson. Apparently, I’m a shell. Which I found out today. Can you see past it?”

Her retina display scrolled his information along the bottom of her eye. She willed it away. _And here’s where he doesn’t talk to me again_. “I’m a cyborg. My optobionics can see through it. Part of the reason I’m down here.”

“I know—knew a cyborg. Victor Stone. The queen’s army ripped him to pieces when she invaded.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

He leaned back against the wall. “You say it like it was your responsibility.”

“It kinda was.” 

Dick stiffened. “How do you figure?”

“I tried to lead a revolution.” She thanked the stars she couldn’t blush. “It didn’t work.”

“You’re Lunar as well then?”

Cinder let out a breath. “It’s a long story.”

“Darn, and I had so much to do today.” 

“You remind me of my friend, Iko.” She leaned her head back against the wall. “She used to practice her sarcasm.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone _practicing_ sarcasm.”

“Iko was an android with a faulty personality chip. She was the most human android I’ve ever seen.”

Dick stretched his legs out. “Not words you hear together very often.”

“No, they’re not.” Cinder paused debating if she wanted to tell the story of their spectacular failure. She took a deep breath. “But if you want to hear the story, here goes.”

*~*

Dick jerked awake. “I thought that had been a nightmare.”

“Good morning. Sleep well?” Cinder’s voice held a hint of amusement. It sounded like she was smiling, not that he could see anything beyond a vague outline. He wished for his Nightwing mask, with its infrared and heat sensors in the lenses.

“Sorry, I’d been up for over 24 hours. Usually I can stay awake no problem.”

“How?”

Bruce would have his hide if he divulged Bat family secrets to a non-vetted individual. Not that she’d be able to tell anyone. “I’d tell you but then I’d have to kill you.”

“By all means then, please spare me.” He could almost hear her rolling her eyes. “Cause being in here is the height of luxury.”

“I’m sorry I fell asleep. Did I hear right that the queen is your aunt?”

“I’m surprised you heard that. You were snoring two minutes into the story.” 

“I do not snore.” He shot back.

She moved closer to him. “Can I let you in on a secret?” 

“Uh sure…I guess?”

“I have a recording of it.” Her voice lowered to a whisper.

“Remind me to never introduce you to my brothers.”

She snorted. “But in answer to your question. Yes you heard right, Levana is my aunt. And she forced my boyfriend to marry her.”

“And I thought my family was screwed up.” Dick laughed.

“What are they like?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Bruce, my adopted dad, owns Wayne Enterprises. He’s got a reputation as a ladies’ man, but he’s really a big softie. I’m the oldest of the brood. Then there’s Jason—shit Jaybird.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The queen’s wolf-soldiers and some thaumaturges dragged him off to Arkham. But they weren’t exactly forthcoming on answers as to what they wanted with him.”

“Tell me about him.” Cinder pulled her knees to her chest.

“He’s a hothead. And a nerd.” Dick swallowed past the lump rising in his throat. “He had a rough time of things. We thought he was dead for several years, until he showed up as—out of nowhere.”

“It probably doesn’t bode well for him if Levana knows about this. And since my retina display is giving me all the information I need. It’s reasonable to say she does.”  
“Great.”

“I wish there was something I could do to help.”

“You and me both.”

Before he could tell her about Tim or Damian, the door to the cell opened with a clang. The wolf-soldiers dragged him out into the blinding sun. When the queen had finished her “experiment” the night before, he’d been dragged back to City Hall and dumped in the basement. 

He hadn’t expected a crowd to be gathered outside. His guards led him to the landing midway down the steps of the building. An archway had been assembled since he’d passed through yesterday. His stomach dropped. That’s where they were leading him.

The soldiers tied his wrists to the two corners of the archway. One of them knotted their fist in his shirt before pulling back. The fabric ripped leaving Dick’s chest and back exposed. His heart raced, threatening to burst out of his ribs at any moment.

“People of Gotham. As I’m sure you are all aware, this young man dared to remain standing yesterday when I announced that I was making your city my home. This form of blatant disrespect will not be tolerated.” The queen’s voice echoed off the surrounding buildings. “He will receive 20 lashes and spend 48 hours kneeling in this very plaza. Let this serve as a warning to any who would dare to question my reign.”

Dick scanned the crowd. At least those gathered looked terrified. _Yeah get a good glimpse of what you all welcomed_. As his gaze swept over the people, it caught on a muscular man accompanied by two boys who bore a resemblance. Bruce, with Tim and Damian by his side. The elder man’s blue eyes bore into Dick’s, who subtly shook his head. _Don’t let the kid see this. I’m supposed to be his strong big brother…his batman._ A sad smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as Bruce tried to push Damian behind him, not that the 13-year-old went without a fight. 

Heels clacked on the granite steps behind him. He heard a gasp as something hit the stone.

“Cat, would you do the honors?” The queen asked.  
_Selina, don’t do this._

“Of course, your majesty. But first, may I see the fear in his eyes? I want him to remember this day.”

A moment of silence passed before Selina moved again. She rounded the front of the archway in full Catwoman gear.

“How could you betray us like this?” He hissed when she stopped in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Dick. Please trust me.” Her eyes softened for a moment before she moved behind him.

She cracked her whip a couple of times. Practice, if he had to guess. 

Silence.

Blood rushed in his ears.

He knew the blow was coming.

_Just get it over with._

Fire lanced up his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry!!!! It gets a little worse before it gets better. And it does get better, I promise! 
> 
> Sorry for the over use of italics in this...they're supposed to be for emphasis, but I think I may have gotten carried away. Also I'm going to upload the rest of the story since it's written.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things look up for Dick, and Selina Kyle makes a visit to Wayne Manor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight trigger warning: It's not graphic (cause I can read it, but can't write it well enough for my own tastes) but there is a torture-y thing at the very beginning. The description actually was inspired by a POW camp my aunt was in during WWII. If you want the story, just ask and I'll let you know.

Dick hung his head in the rare Gotham sun. Go figure it decided to make an appearance today of all days. The queen had ordered he stay there kneeling for two full days. He could have handled it if that had been the only thing she’d done. But no, that couldn’t be where her insanity ended. His back had been torn to shreds, they’d hogtied him and then stuck a rod covered in sharp spikes in the bend of his knees. He couldn’t even settle onto his haunches to relieve the strain on his abs. And as if _that_ hadn’t been enough, the queen ordered “no food or water are to pass his lips for the duration of his punishment.” 

So he was hungry, dehydrated, and injured. He could hear Jason’s eternal pessimism in the back of his head saying things had gone to shit. 

Hurried footsteps echoed off the building behind him. Probably the queen coming to gloat.

Instead, someone else greeted him. “Mr. Grayson?”

“You know anyone else who’s supposed to be doing penance in front of city hall?” He raised an eyebrow. “You must be Winter.”

Her eyes widened. “How did you know?”

“Everyone’s heard of you. Your legendary beauty, how the queen made you scar your own face out of jealousy, how it only enhanced things.” He took a deep breath. “Plus I spent some time with your cousin.”

“You’ve seen Selene?” She paused. “I mean, Cinder.”

“Yeah, we were cellmates for a whole twelve hours.”

“Is she well?”

Dick tried to shrug, but that only aggravated his back. “As well as can be expected for being locked in a windowless basement.”

Winter sat next to him and leaned in. “There are others willing to fight against the queen. When you’re free, can you help them?”

He tilted his head to the side. “What makes you think I can do that?”

“I saw your face at the park. You don’t want her to rule Earth either.”

“You’re right about that. I’ll support leaders if they’re not tyrants.” He tried to shift to ease his tired muscles. “When I get out of here, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you. I should go before I’m missed.” She stood smoothing out the skirt of her dress.

“I’m glad I could put a name with the face.” He nodded as she left.

Only…36 hours left to go.

*~*

Selina pounded the bronze knocker against the massive front door of Wayne Manor. This would be a difficult conversation. And stubborn as Bruce could be, she could be even more so. That was likely the reason their relationship was constantly on-again-off-again. 

The entrance opened on silent hinges, revealing a glaring Tim Drake. At least it wasn’t Damian, he’d probably come after her with a katana for her actions the previous day. 

“What do _you_ want?” 

“I need to talk to Bruce, Tim. It’s urgent.” She set her jaw. The whole damn family was cut from the same stubborn cloth, which was saying a lot given that 3 of the 4 boys were adopted.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll let him know.” The teen swung the door to close it.

Selina stuck her foot inside, refusing to be dismissed. “It’s about Dick.”

“Oh you mean how you stripped his back of skin?”

“I didn’t have a choice, Timothy. And if you want to see him again, I need to talk to Bruce. Now.”

Tim let out an annoyed grunt. “Fine.”

As soon as she set foot in the entryway, Alfred turned the corner. “Miss Kyle, what an unexpected surprise. What can we do for you?”

“She said she needs to talk to Bruce.” Tim folded his arms.

“It’s an urgent matter involving Dick.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

The butler straightened his already impeccable posture. “I see. If you’ll wait in Master Bruce’s study, I’ll fetch him immediately.”

“You can’t be serious!” Tim’s jaw dropped. “She was the one who—she tore him to shreds!”

“I’m aware Master Timothy. I saw the broadcast.” Alfred narrowed his eyes at the teen. “However, I am not a stranger to espionage. And that things are not always what they appear. I am going to fetch Master Bruce. If I find that you or Master Damian have harassed or harmed Miss Kyle in anyway, you shall deal with me directly.”

Stars, she loved the stodgy old Englishman. “Thanks Alfred.”

He bowed and disappeared down the corridor, leaving her to slip into Bruce’s study before Damian saw her. The kid looked up to Dick like the older man had hung the moon, and after running into him more than once as Catwoman, she had no doubt he’d kill her. 

She leaned against the mahogany desk, replaying the events from yesterday. Bile rose in her throat as the unwelcome image of Dick’s back sprang to mind. He’d barely been able to stand by the time she was done. Thankfully the queen had dismissed her before they’d even cut his arms loose. Last night was the first panic attack she’d had since childhood. She’d scrubbed her hands raw trying to rid them of blood. 

The door to the study thumped against the wall. “You have a lot of nerve coming here.” Bruce growled using his Batman voice.

“I know, and if it wasn’t a matter of life or death I wouldn’t have.” She gripped the edge of the desk.

“Alfred said I should hear you out.” Bruce closed the door and folded his arms.

Selina took a deep breath. “Harley, Ivy and I saw a chance to have the powers at be on our side for a change, so we went to the queen. I figured I could loot some stuff and be okay. I hadn’t expected her to take Dick. Or to have me do what she did. I am profoundly sorry for hurting him and if I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have touched him.”

Bruce stared at her with steel in his gaze. “You said something about life and death?”

“She’s going to kill him, Bruce. After the 48 hours are up.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Why?”

She raised a shoulder. “She wanted to make a public example of him, to keep people in line. But she kept saying he was a shell and because of that he was dangerous.”

“What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know, everyone just assumed I knew what they were talking about.” She crossed the room and laid a hand on his arm. “You have to rescue him. Hide him in the Batcave. She doesn’t know about it. Hell she doesn’t even know that Superman resides here.”

He stiffened under her touch. “How do I know you won’t betray us?” 

“We all know I’m opportunistic as hell, B. But you also know that I think of Dick as a son. He’s been around for most of our attempts at a relationship.”

“Okay. Though fair warning, if you double cross us, you’ll have to deal with Damian.”

“I would tell the kid where to find me, if I caused intentional harm to any of you.” She glanced up at him. “I should get going before the queen finds out I’m here.”

He grabbed her arm before she could pass him. “Be careful, Sel. I don’t want to lose you too.”

*~*

Bruce tapped the comm in his ear as he and Damian crept toward City Hall. “Oracle, how much time do we have between patrols?”

“I’ll create a distraction to give you twenty minutes.” The woman’s voice replied. “But you’re going to have to knock out some thaumaturges.”

“How many?” 

“It looks like there are six between you and Dick.”

“Robin, can you handle the thaumaturges?” Bruce turned to his sons.

Damian grinned, the moonlight glinting off his teeth. “Of course, they’ll be no match for my training.”

“Don’t kill.” Bruce let out a breath. He wanted the Lunars dead, but he had a code. Nothing was going to change that. “Incapacitate only.”

“You know that means I’ll have to knock them out.” The teen pulled a small cylinder from his utility belt. 

“I’m aware.” Bruce nodded. “Do it, and do it quickly. Make sure you’re not seen.”

“Setting off distraction now and disabling security cameras.” Oracle informed them. An alarm went off across town, near the Gotham Grand Hotel. 

“Good idea, draw their attention to the queen and away from us.” 

“This isn’t my first rodeo, Bats.” Oracle laughed. “Go get him.”

While his youngest son took out the thaumaturges, Bruce made a bee line for his eldest. His back was still a bloody mess and he looked like he was on the verge of collapse. His arms were tied behind him. His posture was ramrod straight, but after being there for over a full day, his muscles would have given out and settled him back on his haunches. 

That’s when he spotted the bar behind his son’s knees. It was wrapped in barbed wire, which would have left him unable to find relief. 

He dropped to his knees in front of Dick. “You ready to go?” He asked, leaving the voice modulator on.

“Bats?” Dick’s voice came out scratchy. Had they not even allowed him water?

“We’re gonna get you out of here, just hang on.” Bruce supported Dick’s frame with his shoulder as he used a batarang to slice through the rope holding his son in place.

“She’ll find out and it’ll be worse for everyone.”

“Trust me.”

Dick collapsed burying his head in the crook of Bruce’s neck.

The vigilante stood casting the barbed wire bar away before it could do more damage. “This is probably gonna hurt, but it’s the fastest way to get out of here. Try not to make too much sound so they can’t follow us.”

“Not my first rodeo, B. I’ve been kidnapped and held for ransom before ya know.”

Bruce lifted his son into his arms. His heart just about stopped at Dick’s pained groan.

Damian had already made it back to the Batmobile, getting it ready to transport his brother. As soon as he saw Bruce running with Dick, he jumped into action. Damian climbed into the back seat to help Bruce get the older bird settled with his head on Damian’s lap. Bruce immediately jumped in, closed the door and put the onboard computer on autopilot. They’d taken measures to make sure that the setting couldn’t be manually overridden in case a stray thaumaturge tried to control them.

Bruce turned in his seat. Damian ran his fingers through Dick’s hair, something that had always calmed the first Robin down. 

“Stop, please.” Dick whispered, trying to curl in on himself.

“Robin.” 

Damian froze, his gloved hand hovering over Dick’s head. “What?”

“For now, don’t.”

A confused look passed over his son’s face before he complied.

Bruce pushed the secure communication button on the console. “Agent A, we are incoming with Grayson, stand by with med bay prepped.”

“Right away, sir.” The old butler ended the communication.

Bruce leaned back in his seat. It was going to be a long night


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick comes home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with chapter 5. I really just wanted to get this up so here you all go with the massive upload. I'm going to apologize now for any typos or weird things I don't catch because my cat has decided that he HAS to be in my lap whenever I want to type and he tends to step on my keyboard. Anyway, enjoy
> 
> P.S. Trigger warning-references to past torture. It's with Jason, I think we all know what I'm talking about.

Dick came to lying face down on something hard. His back still ached, but at least the burn had dissipated. At least until something smeared along one of the marks. He fought down a groan.

“I know it hurts, Master Dick, but the salve is necessary for you to heal.” 

“Alfred?” What was the butler doing—right, Batman had come to save him. He jolted up, everything turning to white hot pain as he did so. 

“Easy young sir.” Alfred laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Where is Bruce?”

“Getting some much needed rest. He’s hardly left your side.”

He settled back down on the gurney. “He always has to make sure his birds are safe.”

The Englishman let out an undignified sound. “To put it mildly. It seems to be an inherited trait.”

Dick turned his head. Alfred moved out of his sightline to reveal Damian conked out on the spare bed. “Where’s Tim?”

“I’m afraid Master Tim had urgent Wayne Enterprise business abroad and had to leave. And Master Damian collapsed from exhaustion shortly after you arrived.” 

The butler moved to administer more salve on the whip marks, but Dick grabbed his hand. “You need to get Bruce down here.”

“Whatever for?”

“The queen has Jason in Arkham.”

“Oh dear, that is quite serious.” Alfred pulled the pair of nitrile gloves off his hands. “Do I have your word you will not move from this spot until I return?”

“Alfie, I’m so weak I don’t think I could get off if I tried.” Dick snorted.

“Very well, we shall be down posthaste.”

There was so much he needed to tell Bruce, even more things he needed answers to. That would have to wait until Jason was safe though. 

Damian stirred on the spare bed. A smile lifted the corners of his lips when his little brother, the Robin to his Batman, saw him. The 13-year-old made his way to Dick’s side, lifted a hand to run through his hair, then dropped again. The look on the kid’s face just about broke Dick’s heart in two.

“Dami, what’s wrong?” He reached out a hand to his brother, his shoulder protesting the movement.

“Last night, when we brought you home. You reacted negatively to touch. I apologize Grayson, I won’t give you a reason to fear my presence.”

“Hey kiddo, I was also extremely sleep deprived and in a ridiculous amount of pain. I’m sorry that I scared you.” His arm was starting to shake from holding it out. Damian still   
kept his hands to himself. 

Dick mentally cursed the queen. Her touch, however brief it had been, made him shy away from his brother. The kid who had only _just_ started to let people get close enough to touch him. “Come around on the other side.”

Damian’s eyebrows scrunched together, but he did as he was told. Dick maneuvered himself onto his right side and patted the space in front of him. “Come on, kiddo.”

His kid brother raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Alfred said not to move.”

“I insist, I can handle Alfie.”

Once Damian settled next to him, Dick draped an arm over the kid. “Better?”

“Only if it succeeds in comforting you, Grayson.”

“Uh huh…sure you’re not turning into a big softie?” Dick ruffled Damian’s hair.

“I am doing no such thing.” The 13-year-old reached a hand up to fix his black hair. “Any touch I allow is solely for your benefit.”

“Okay, well thank you for that.” He rested his head against a pillow. Turning over had hurt, even if it was just onto his side. Not that he’d ever admit it. 

“Did the queen harm you?” 

That question came out of the blue. “You were there, and I know you saw some of it.”

“No, I mean before that. You were her prisoner for most of the previous day.”

“I spent most of it locked in a cell with the queen’s niece, Cinder.” There was no way on Earth, Luna, Mars or Krypton that he’d tell Damian what Levana had really done. “Honestly, Dames. It’s not something to worry about.”

Silence filled the room. And then the distinctive pattern of Bruce’s footsteps. 

Damian shot upright.

“Sounds like the calvary’s here.” Dick took a deep breath. “Help me sit up, will ya kiddo?”

“If Pennyworth banishes me from the cave, I’m blaming you.” The kid grabbed his arm and pulled up to a sitting position. 

Dick thanked the stars he stayed close by to keep him upright.

Bruce entered, the lines in his face looked deeper than they’d been since Jason was killed by the Joker. “Alfred said Jason was in Arkham?”

Dick nodded, gripping the sides of the bed to steady himself. Black spots danced before his eyes as soon as he sat up. “We need to talk, B.”

His adopted father raised an eyebrow before realization dawned on him. “Damian, you need to get some food in you as well as sleep in a real bed.”

“Father, I insist on staying. Grayson is not yet well enough to be left alone to his own devices.” 

“Gee thanks.” Dick rolled his eyes. “Also why don’t you stomp your foot, your teenage girl impression needs some work.”

“Damian, go.” Bruce pointed to the stairs.

The kid folded his arms. “Fine. Make sure he doesn’t injure himself.” 

Bruce waited until the footsteps could no longer be heard. “What was that all about?”

Dick took a deep breath, Bruce needed to know everything. “I didn’t want Damian to hear what I’m about to tell you. He’s protective and if he heard he’d try to kill her and get himself killed in the process.”

“He comes by it honestly.” Bruce pulled up a chair. “So what do you want to tell me?”

“Catwoman, Ivy and Harley are working with the queen.”

“I know.” Bruce nodded.

“You know? How?”

The older man rubbed the back of his neck. “Selina was the one who told me to rescue you. She said the queen was going to kill you after the 48 hours were up.”

“Sadly, that makes sense. Second thing. Ivy made some sort of—I hate to call it love potion, but that’s basically what it is. She tested it out on me, I guess cause I can see through Levana’s ‘glamour’ as she calls it.” Dick continued, trying to steel his stomach against the memories.

“You can see through it? Is it because you’re a shell?” 

“Ye-how did you know about that?” 

“Selina mentioned it, but she didn’t explain what it was. You knew?” Bruce leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I only found out after the park incident. She made everyone else bow, but she can’t manipulate me. Thus why I didn’t.”

“And Jason?” 

“She took him to Arkham, I guess Harley had gone ahead and cleared the place out for the queen’s thaumaturges.”

Bruce leaned back, his blue eyes boring into Dick. “But you don’t know why.”

“I may have just found out that my family is Lunar and not Romani, but I’m not exactly high up on the divulge secrets chain.” His arms started shaking, his strength was fading fast. “One last thing.”

“What’s that?”

“The queen’s stepdaughter, Princess Winter said she had friends who wanted to overthrow Levana’s rule. One of whom is being held in the basement of City Hall, her name is Cinder and she’s the true Lunar queen.”

“Good job on making friends. Why would they want to overthrow a relative?”

“Have you seen what Levana has done? According to Cinder, she’s bled Luna almost dry.”

Bruce said nothing. 

“They need our help. Isn’t that why you put on the cowl to begin with, to find justice?”

“I’m getting Jason back, and _then_ we’ll discuss if we’re going to stick our necks out for the people of Luna.”

“Thanks, B. Bring Jaybird home.”

*~*

Jason opened his eyes. The lights overhead blinded him. The voices surrounding him sounded like they were echoing around in a tin can. He tried to swallow, but the copper tang of blood made him choke. 

“Looks like he’s awake. Start the examination.” A nameless voice sounded from his right. He turned his head, gaze landing on the mirrored surface of two-way glass. His reflection didn’t _look_ any different. A thaumaturge stood by the door, her hands tucked into her bell-shaped sleeves. She narrowed her eyes at him and his body stood up on its own.

“Mind control isn’t acceptable here on Earth.” His voice came out in a growl. It sounded like Batman’s voice modulator.

Her touch in his mind clamped down, forcing him to move around, to feel joy, anger, despair.

“Stop it!” He wrenched back control over his own body. He turned on her, intent on ripping her limb from limb. 

Agony exploded in his head. Suddenly he was 15 again. The crowbar hit every bone. They shattered on impact. The warehouse exploded. This time it didn’t kill him. Flames licked at him. His skin burned away. Muscles liquefied in the blazing heat. 

He gasped for air. Sweet relief. Cold seeped in as he became more aware of his surroundings. He laid on the concrete floor of Arkham Asylum’s operating room. His felt his torso, skin, muscle, bone were all intact. The raised “Y” autopsy scar bisected his chest. 

The lights flickered out. Machinery whirred to a halt. Panicked breathing echoed in the room. The hair on the back of Jason’s neck stood on end. Something had entered the room. It had a musty, earthy smell. Like a cave. Realization struck. 

“B!” He cried out, his voice still sounding like he wore Batman’s voice modulator. Bats cape rustled in the still air. 

“Jason, where are you?”

“On the floor…between the operating table and the door.” He stood, legs shaking under his weight.

“I see you. Let’s go.” Bruce placed Jason’s arm over his shoulder.

As they stumbled into the cold night air, Jason fought back bile at the stench outside the asylum. How had he never noticed it before? He shook his head, willing his stomach to settle.

Bruce helped him into the Batmobile, setting it to autopilot. As soon as they were on the road, he turned to Jason. “Are you all right?”

“I think so. I mean, my head is pounding and I’m starving.”

“Do you know what they were doing?”

“No idea, B. How’s Dickiebird?” Jason settled back against the cool leather seat.

Bruce pushed the cowl back. “A little worse for wear, but he’ll survive.” 

“He told you where to find me, didn’t he?”

“Is that really surprising?”

Jason laughed. “No. It’s not. What did her majesticness want with him?”

A dark look passed over Bruce’s face. “That’s something he’ll have to share if and when he’s ready.”

“That bad huh?”

His adopted father nodded.

“Figures.” He propped his elbow against the window. The cool glass calming him. “On the plus side, we don’t have to worry about most of the rogues anymore.”

“Jay…” Bruce growled. It was the start of his “we don’t kill” speech.

“It wasn’t my fault B. I think the thaumaturges wiped them out. Harley was holding Joker’s dead body when I got there.” He couldn’t say he wasn’t relieved that the object of his nightmares was gone.

“I think the queen is under estimating how angry she’s making people. Harley is unpredictable.”

“The thaumaturges control people, B. It doesn’t matter how predictable you are…they’ll stop an attack on the queen.” Jason ran a hand through his hair.

“Unless you’re a shell. That explains why she’s so terrified of them.”

The Batmobile turned toward the cave.

“A what?”

“Let Dick explain, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.”

The car dove through the waterfall entrance. They came to a stop in the middle of the cave, Damian supporting Dick off to the side.

As soon as the door opened, Jason was out. He wanted food, a shower and his bed, in that exact order.

“Jaybird.” Dick grinned moving slowly toward him. The acrobat’s gait was off, like it pained him to move. As his brother got closer, the tang of blood filled Jason’s nose. It overwhelmed every sense. His stomach erupted in a growl. The hunger that had been gnawing at him was now at full force pushing everything else out of focus. He lunged toward the smell. 

Dick’s scream brought Jason back to his senses. He had his older brother pinned down. Blood dripped from a bite mark on his arm. That hadn’t been there before. He tasted copper.

_What have I done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I feel like the whole Tim thing was a cop out- and it really is. Trouble was, I kept forgetting about him. I'm the least familiar with him out of everyone in the batfam and I have trouble writing him...so he goes on a business trip because that's still a thing. Also I'm sorry for Jason...don't hate me


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason has a melt down and Dick...poor guy needs a break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this time, mostly because of where I needed things to break so you guys didn't end up with a frankenchapter. Nothing gigantic happens of note, this is really just a transitional set up for the rest of the story.

Dick’s back hit the cement floor, sending white sparks across his vision. Jason _attacked_ him. He tried to fight off his suddenly feral brother, but to little avail. Jason was built like Bruce, stocky and full of muscle. If he didn’t want to move, there weren’t many forces that could make him. Dick was not that force. He could barely lift his own arms without tiring out. 

Jason bit down, his teeth breaking skin on Dick’s arm. He couldn’t help the scream that ripped from his throat. _That_ had snapped Jason out of his cannibalistic rampage. 

Teal eyes stared down at him.

“Jaybird?” Dick’s chest heaved, trying to supply air to his lungs.

“I-I’m sorry. I should go.” He stood and ran to the stairs up to the manor.

“Does he have rabies or something?” Damian held a hand out to his oldest brother.

Dick glared at him, groaning with the effort of moving. “Really Dames?”

“It’s a legitimate concern. He did just bite you.”

“Why don’t we examine the wound and go from there.” Alfred ushered them make to the Trauma bay.

“B. You should get Cinder tonight. They’ll be expecting it tomorrow.” Dick called over his shoulder.

Bruce grunted and tapped the comm. “Oracle, I’m going to need eyes and ears.”

The car roared out of the cave, leaving Dick with Damian and Alfred. 

“Well that was exciting.” Dick settled onto the exam table. 

Alfred swabbed the bite mark with peroxide. “Indeed, sir. Far too exciting in my opinion.”

“Will you check on Jason, Alfie? He’s probably beating himself up right now.”

“And what of you, Master Dick?” The Englishman raised an eyebrow.

“Dami can finish patching me up, right kiddo?” 

“I can provide adequate medical attention for a bite, Pennyworth.” Damian held his hand out for the bunch of peroxide laden cotton.

“If you’re sure?”

“Get Clark if you need back up. But someone needs to make sure he’s okay and certain munchkins would only make matters worse.” 

“If you are referring to me, Grayson. I resent being called a munchkin. I could get Todd to see reason.”

“Dames, I love you. But you have the worst bedside manner of anyone I’ve ever met.”

The 13-year-old scoffed as Alfred left. He opened his mouth but shut it again and swabbed the puncture marks. He grabbed a roll of gauze and wrapped it around his brother’s arm, still silent as the grave.

“What’s on your mind, Dames?” Dick used his foot to poke the kid in the leg.

“Did you mean it? That I have a terrible bedside manner?”

Dick wanted to flop back on the table and bury his head underneath a pillow. _Nice going…this is what happens when you have Bruce “No-emotions-only-justice” Wayne as a parenting role model._ “Hop up here.”

Steely blue eyes stared back at him. “I can take your criticism just fine from here, thank you.” 

“Suit yourself. No, you don’t have the best temperament for talking people down from ledges. But you know what?” Dick ruffled his brother’s hair. “You were raised to be an assassin. And you’ve come a long way in putting that behind you.”

Damian’s eyebrows lifted before he schooled his features again. “How do you mean, Grayson?”

“I mean when I first met you, I would never have trusted you to patch me up. But I do now.”

The kid nodded as he secured the bandage. “I believe you are done.”

Dick slid off the table, still holding on to the edge to keep his balance. He needed food, wanted his own bed. But he doubted he could make it all the way up on his own.

“I don’t suppose telling you to stay put would help?” 

“Not a chance. I need to eat, it’s been…” He counted on his fingers before giving up. “Way too long. So, you okay with helping me upstairs?”

Damian wrapped his arm around Dick’s waist, careful not to touch any of the lash marks on his back. “Come along, Grayson.”

*~*

Jason panted as he leaned against the door to his room. He’d attacked Dick. That was okay, right? It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried to kill Tim when he showed up at the mansion. Didn’t they expect him to do things like this now? His head thumped against the wood. No. They didn’t. He’d gotten better, hadn’t slipped into blind pit rages as much as he used to. So, what triggered this one?

He swallowed against the lump in his throat. His mouth still tasted like blood. His stomach rolled. He dashed to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time. 

Ugh.

He filled the cup on the counter with water. He put it to his lips, shocked at the clink of teeth against glass. _What the—?_ He bared his teeth at the mirror. The canines were longer, pointer. Had they tried to make him into a vampire? It would explain the sudden hunger when he smelled blood. The rest of his appearance seemed unchanged. Though his eyesight picked up on the more minute details. He studied himself, hundreds of small scars littered his body. Mostly from his days as Robin, but some were definite Red Hood era. He’d known they were there. But they’d been the ones too tiny or unimportant to need stiches. So why could he suddenly see them?

A knock sounded on the bedroom door. “Master Jason?”

Alfred. Great. They were finally gonna kick him out. He’d torn into Bruce’s golden child for goodness’ sake.

Another knock. 

“I’m fine, Alfie!” He scanned the room looking for the biggest bag he could find. If he was leaving, it wouldn’t be with only the clothes on his back.

“Master Dick asked me to check on you.” Alfred knocked…again.

Jason stomped to the door and yanked it open. “Why, so he can convince Bruce to throw me to the wolves?”

The Englishman paused. His hand raised to knock. “Quite the contrary. He’s rather worried about you. In fact, he asked if I would check on you since Master Damian lacks the tact required.”

“He’s looking out for his own skin, Alfie.” Jason stepped back. “Let me pack some shit and I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Perhaps I can persuade you to come down for a hot meal before you go?” 

He groaned, that was Alfred code for I’m going to make you see reason before you leave this house.

“Fine. But then I’m gone.”

“Very well, sir.” Alfred nodded. “Perhaps, you should leave the bag here?”

Jason dropped it, not that there was anything in there anyway.

He followed the old butler down to the kitchen, where Dick sat at the table. He was directing Damian toward something in the pantry.

“It’ll be the third box on the far right shelf.”

“There are only three shelves in here, Grayson!” Damian snapped. “And I don’t see the box of Sugar Munchies.”

“Perhaps if you’d sit at the table, sir, I could provide food that is far more nutritious and much less sugar laden.” Alfred spoke up as soon as he crossed into the room.  
Jason plastered himself to the doorframe. _Don’t attack, don’t attack, don’t att—I don’t smell it now. What?_

His older brother stared at him. “Jaybird?”

He cleared his throat. “You-you okay?”

The idiot had the nerve to laugh. “I’ll be fine. It’s not nearly as bad as my back right now.”

Damian exited the pantry and moved to stand guard by Dick. 

Jason, staying close to the wall, moved so he could see what the golden child was talking about.

The sight before him made his stomach roll again. “Wh-what happened?”

“Have a seat Jaybird. It’s a long story.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaannnnnd the overuse of italics is back.


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we have new friends. Jason shows off his inner nerd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how I said I didn't want to give you a frankenchapter? Well, I lied. This is it. I didn't have a good place for a chapter break so here's an extra long one!

Dick pouted. He’d made it out of the cave and eaten, only to be told he had to go down. He wanted his own bed, not the rock-hard ones in the trauma bay. But if he had to be there, at least he had Jason to keep him company. His brother smeared more salve on Dick’s back. That smell was going to be permanently ingrained in his memory.

“Thanks for helping, Jay.” Dick bunched a pillow in his arms.

For someone who’d turned into a mercenary, Jason’s touch was gentle. “Well, you don’t exactly say no to Alfie.”

“Not if you want to live peacefully in this house.” Dick laughed.

“Zatanna two-five.” A computerized voice called out across the cave. The zeta tube flashed allowing the girl access.

“Z!” Dick perked up, supporting his weight on his elbows.

“Would you lay back down before you rip something open?” Jason growled flicking his shoulder. 

“What happened to you?” The black-haired woman made her way over to them. 

“Bird brain ticked the lunar queen off and she did her best _Alice in Wonderland_ impression.” Jason plopped on the bed next to Dick. 

“What?”

“Alice in Wonderland, the queen of hearts…you know off with her head?”

Dick glanced over his shoulder. “Oh.”

“Don’t you two read?” 

She laughed. “Not to the extent you do, Jay.”

“I don’t think most humans read that much.” Dick winked at her. 

“So the queen did this?” Zatanna stepped closer surveying the damage.

“She made Catwoman do it. As an act of loyalty.”

“Which is bullshit if you ask me.” Jason growled. “She’ll mess around with Bruce and act all affectionate with us, until something better comes along.”

Dick sat all the way up. “She didn’t want to do it.”

“Why ’cause she said sorry before she tore into you?”

“Yes, exactly. You didn’t see the look on her face. I did.”

“You had also been in their care for over 24 hours!” 

Zatanna held her hands up between them. “Perhaps things are a little too volatile for this right now.”

Jason stood bumping her shoulder as he passed. “Which is the polite way of saying I need to leave. Sure, not like I asked to be down here anyway.”

“Jaybird, stop.” Dick moved to go after him.

“Would you lay down before you kill yourself?” The younger bat paused. “I’m not mad at you. But I’ll wait and talk about it when we’re both better equipped to handle it. Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself, Z.”

“I’m not a kid, you know.” Dick turned to her as Jason’s footsteps faded.

She ran her fingers through his hair. “I know. But he’s worried about you. Do you blame him?”

“I don’t need looking after.”

“Says the boy who just defended Catwoman.” Zatanna raised an eyebrow. “That looks painful.”

“Well, it doesn’t feel like I’m being caressed with feathers. There’s not much I can do about it, though.”

“My father had a spell that might help. It closes open wounds, though it will still leave scars.”

“If it means that I get to move back upstairs, then yes.” Dick laughed.

“I had a feeling you might say that.” She moved behind him. “It won’t be pleasant, but you won’t have to wait weeks for them to heal.”

“So you’re saying I need something to muffle my screaming?”

“Unless you want everyone to come running to your aid, yeah.” She shrugged.

Dick grabbed a nearby pillow and bit down on the corner. He nodded, gripping the sides of the table with white knuckles.

 _“Sdnuow sih esolc!”_ Zatanna shouted.

Dick’s breath caught when the spell hit. If he’d thought receiving the lashes had hurt, this was a thousand times worse. Heat pulsed along his back, wrapping around his arms and inching up to his neck. Fire licked at his skin. A wave of agony threatened to pull him into darkness. And then…nothing.

He stood, twisting back and forth. He felt _normal_ again. He crowed at being able to move without white and black spots dancing in his vision.

“Thank you, Z.” He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve been dreading the healing process.”

“You’re welcome boy wonder.” She flicked a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. 

He leaned in, fully intent on kissing her. They’d always kept a casual relationship. But before his lips touched hers, the queen’s face sprang to his mind. Dick stepped back, bumping into the exam table.

“What’s wrong?” Zatanna’s eyebrows scrunched together. 

Dick took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. “It’s nothing.”

“I’ve known you since you were 14, Dick.” Her hands bracketed her waist. “This is the first time this has ever happened. What’s wrong?”

“I-I just…can’t, Z. Not right now.” His hands shook.

“I don’t want to know details, but did the queen do something?”

He nodded.

“Okay. Have you talked to someone about it?” Her voice soothed his frayed nerves.

“I told B what happened.”

“I meant someone who’s not emotionally constipated from not dealing with his own trauma.”

That made him laugh. “No, I haven’t. I woke up here yesterday morning, but I have no idea how long I was out before that…it can’t have been more than a few days since it happened.”

“You know, we have these things called Zeta tubes. I’m sure Canary would be more than happy to lend an ear.” Zatanna rested a hand on his shoulder. 

He flinched from her touch.

“As soon as B gets back with the-with Cinder, I’ll call. Okay?” 

“Sure.” She backed away, hopping up on a bed. “Who is Cinder?” 

“She’s a cyborg, and the true queen of Luna.” 

The roar of the Batmobile’s engine silenced any further explanation.

Dick smirked. “Speak of the devil.”

The pair made their way to the middle of the cave as the doors opened. Bruce ducked into the backseat of the Batmobile before reappearing with Cinder.

She looked around the cave, eyes wide in awe. 

“Welcome to the Batcave.” Dick called out.

“Dick!” She waved her right hand before Bruce situated it around his shoulders.

The duo moved slowly away from the car. An awful screech echoed off the walls of the cave making the bats squawk in protest.

“What happened?” Dick covered his ears with his hands.

Bruce leveled a full blown batglare at him. “You should have mentioned she was a cyborg.”

“Did I not?”

His adopted father scooped Cinder up and placed her on an empty bed. “No, you didn’t. We almost didn’t make it out because the EMP disabled the circuits controlling her   
artificial limbs.”

Dick rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to meet Bruce’s gaze. “Sorry.”

“I’m still thankful that you came to get me period.” Cinder shrugged. “The EMP should wear off soon.”

“In the meantime, we should get her something to wear besides the dirty prison jumpsuit. I think Babs said she stashed some clothes here or we can see if Lois has anything that will fit.” Zatanna dropped into a nearby chair.

“Good thinking, Z. I’ll go do that.” Dick turned to beat a hasty retreat. Bruce was ticked and he really wanted to be spared the lecture.

“Hold it!” He hadn’t been using the voice modulator when he spoke earlier, and now Bruce was straight up growling.

Having been trained by Batman, Dick froze. So much for making it upstairs. “Yeah B?”

Bruce slid the cowl off, his blue eyes narrowed. “What happened while I was gone?”

“Well, you see—”

Zatanna interrupted him. “I used one of my father’s spells to heal his back. You’re all going to have a long fight ahead of you, and Dick needs to be functioning for it.”

“You know I don’t like the use of magic, and yet you came here and used it anyway.” Bruce turned on her. “Thank you, for seeing to it that he was okay.”

Dick’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t expected that reaction from the always stoic Batman. “So, can I get our guest some clothes now, or…”

Bruce let out a breath. “Yes, get her something to wear, and then get some sleep. We’ll go over contingencies in the morning. We’re going to have to set up an early alert system to warn us of Lunars searching the area.”

“You got it.” Dick raced up the steps to the manor. 

*~*

Jason made a pit stop in the manor’s training room after he left the cave. He had a primal need to punch something. With Bruce’s golden child being down for the count and not wanting to kill the demon spawn for a change, he thought it best to unleash the rage on something inanimate. 

He trained and punched for two hours, until exhaustion took over. He couldn’t make his eyes focus on the target. He stepped into the hallway, taking a swig from his water bottle. At least it didn’t feel weird against his teeth. He made his way to his room, the shower calling his name. 

He braced his arms against the wall, letting the spray wash over him. He took a deep breath. Visualized the muck from Arkham melting from his skin and running down the drain. Black Canary had taught him that during his days as Robin. He’d only started using it recently so he didn’t kill his brothers. Somedays living in the manor, it was all he could do to just ignore them.

Done with the shower and dressed for bed, he grabbed a worn paperback copy of _Emma_ from the nightstand. 

Jason blinked. The bedside lamp was still on. He still held his book, though it rested on his chest now. Something had pulled him from a shockingly pleasant dream, which was a first. He sat up. The noise was low. Distant. He craned his neck to figure out what it was. He was just about to play it off as a fluke when he heard it again. Coming from down the hall. He threw off the blanket and padded barefoot down the corridor. 

There it was again. In Dick’s room.

He paused at the door. He could hear the sheets rustling with movement on the other side. Should he go in?

“Please, no.” Dick’s voice sounded desperate. 

Jason gripped the knob, wishing he’d thought to bring a weapon with him. Even one of Dick’s “wingdings” would have been more help than a paperback book. He bounced on the balls of his feet for two seconds before throwing the door open. 

The room was empty except his brother blinking back at him.

“Jaybird? What’s going on?” 

“I-I thought I heard you begging someone to stop.” He glanced around. 

“It’s just me.” Dick sat up, crossing his legs. “I had a nightmare, but was I being that loud?”

Jason shook his head. “No, it was quiet. I don’t think even Bruce’s expert hearing picked it up. Which makes even less sense why I heard it.”

“You’ve been acting odd since coming back from Arkham.” 

He closed the door behind him, using the light from his phone to guide the way to a lamp. He pulled the chain, the yellow bulb cast a dim light over the room. “They did something to me there.”

Dick held his hand up against the assault on his eyes. “Like what?”

“I dunno. My sense of hearing, smell and sight are clearer. Like they’ve been enhanced.” Jason settled onto the edge of the bed.

“Well I think that explains why you heard me talking in my sleep from two doors down.”

“Yeah. There’s also this.” He bared his teeth showing the sharp and elongated canines.

“Grandmother, what big teeth you have.” Dick snorted leaning back against his pillow.

“I’m serious, it’s freaking me out.”

His brother patted the space next to him. “Are you afraid you’re turning into one of her soldiers?”

“No.” That was his initial, knee-jerk reaction whenever anyone asked if he was afraid. He carefully bit his lip, thinking over what Dick had said. If he was being honest with himself, he was terrified. He scooted closer toward Dick’s calming presence.

“Sure you’re not, li’l wing.”

He shoved his brother, immediately regretting it when he remembered the lattice work of exposed muscle on Dick’s back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t. Z used a spell to knit everything back together.”

“How’d Bats take it?”

Dick laughed. “In typical Batman form.”

“I’m not happy that you disobeyed me, but it benefits me so I’m going to let it slide?”

“That’s it. I’m glad cause it means that I don’t have to spend the night in the cave.”

Jason curled into his brother’s side. “Those beds are no joke. Yours is much more comfortable.”

“Which is why you’re settling here instead of in your own?” Dick scooted down so he was laying on the surface.

“It’s to keep the nightmares at bay.” He only half-joked. They’d both be dealing with the after-effects of the queen for some time.

“My kid brother, so kind and thoughtful.” Dick chuckled. “Whatcha reading?”

He stuck his tongue out. “A book.” 

“I can see it’s a book, Jaybird. Which one?”

 _Emma_ , you know I love Jane Austen.”

“A personality quirk that I’ve never fully understood. But if it makes you happy then who am I to say anything?” 

“Want me to read some to you?” Jason held the book up.

Dick yawned. “Sure, maybe it’ll help me sleep.” 

“Ha ha.” He cracked the book open, going to the beginning of the chapter. “Volume three, chapter eighteen. Time passed on. A few more to-morrows, and the party from London would be arriving. It was an alarming change; and Emma was thinking of it one morning, as what must bring a great deal to agitate and grieve her, when Mr. Knightley came in, and distressing thoughts were put by.”

*~*

Cinder woke fully rested for the first time in…she couldn’t remember how long. The hospital bed had been like sleeping on a cloud after spending the last year locked in one dungeon or another. The Palace in Artemisia, The Palace in New Beijing and finally Gotham’s City Hall. The cave, or was it the Batcave, was still cool and musty. But she had room to move. 

She flexed her left foot, happy when the metal limb moved with her will. It was nice to know the EMP hadn’t permanently damaged her bionic system. She would have had to open her control panel to reboot the system. She shuddered at the thought of strangers poking around the processor in her head. She’d also been relieved that the pulse hadn’t short circuited her silicone heart.

Her audio processor picked up someone descending the stairs. 

An older man stood by her side a moment later. “Good morning, Miss. Master Bruce asked me to bring you up for breakfast.” 

“Uh, okay. Thank you—?”

“Alfred, Master Bruce’s butler.”

“Is that the guy with the cape that brought me here?” 

Alfred let out a breath. “Yes Miss. Though that is a closely guarded Wayne family secret.”

Her retina display sprang up with information on Bruce Wayne. “Of course. I really just want to end my aunt’s rule, and I doubt outing the Batman would help anyone.”

The butler stared at her.

“I have a computer in my brain.”

“I see. If you would follow me.” 

Cinder smiled as the old man led her up a flight of stairs. For the space in the cave, she should have assumed it would be under an equally massive home, but she still found her jaw dropping as they exited into a study. “Wow.”

“I believe those were the same words Master Jason uttered when he first arrived.” Alfred led her down a hallway to the dining room. “And he came through the front door.”

Nine people sat around the table, all looking bleary eyed. _How many people live here?_

She recognized Dick, he looked different in the daylight. But she was sure she also looked different without the dank backdrop of their shared prison. He waved her to an empty seat.

“Morning.” He grinned as she eased into the seat.

“Morning. I think that was the best night of sleep I’ve gotten in a while.” She smiled turning to her host. “Thank you, Mr. Wayne for bringing me here.”

Bruce grunted as he shook the morning paper. 

“He’s not really a morning person.” Dick whispered.

“Are any of you?” A black-haired woman across the table pushed her glasses up on her nose.

“Fair point.” Dick shrugged. 

“Lois Lane-Kent.” The woman held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Linh Cinder, though you can just call me Cinder.” She reached out to shake Lois’ hand.

“You’d probably like the run down on who’s who.” Dick laughed. “At the head of the table is Bruce, to his left is his son and our youngest brother Damian. Next to Damian is Jonathan, or Jon as we call him, Kent. They’re best friends and Dami is a little possessive.”

“Am not Grayson.” The black-haired kid scowled.

“Okay princess.” Dick pointed at a muscular man between Jon and Lois. “That’s Clark Kent, reporter extraordinaire, and you’ve met his wife Lois. At the far end of the table is Zatanna, she doesn’t live here but stopped by last night before you came in. To your right is Jason Todd. He’s the second oldest out of us Wayne boys.”

Jason lifted his hand before turning back to his breakfast. 

“And then there’s me. Dick Grayson, oldest of the Wayne kids. Alfred showed you up this morning.”

“And all of you but Zatanna live here?” Cinder leaned back in her chair.

“Yeah. It’s chaotic sometimes, but it’s home. There’s also Babs, who doesn’t live here officially, but she’s here so much that she might as well. She, uh, donated some of her wardrobe to you.”

“I remember you mentioning that last night. If you could tell her thanks…without mentioning who I am. I wouldn’t want her to get on Levana’s bad side.”

“I’ll tell her, but I think she helped coordinate the rescue, right B?”

Another grunt from the head of the table.

“That means yes.” Jason leaned over to her. 

Telling them apart would be interesting. They all had features that distinguished them from each other. Damian was the shortest of the bunch. Jason had a lock of white hair mixed into the black. Clark and Bruce would be the most difficult as they looked similar.

“Thank you all for helping me escape my aunt.”

“Wait.” Damian glared at her from across the table. “You’re Lunar? And related to the queen?”

“Yes.” Cinder nodded. Wasn’t it common knowledge by this point?

“Father, how could you bring one of those foul people into this house?”

“You do know I’m technically Lunar, too?” Dick spoke up glaring at his youngest sibling. 

Damian launched into a diatribe in Arabic. Her audio processor translated the words, and she would have blushed had she been able.

“May I say something?” She cut him off. “I may be Lunar, but I didn’t know it until six months ago. The queen wants me dead because I am the heir to the throne that she isn’t willing to give up. And if you’re going to insult someone in a foreign language, make sure they don’t have a computer in their brain to translate it.”

To her right, Jason leaned back against his chair laughing. “Finally someone outside this family put him in his place.”

“Hold your tongue, Todd, or I’ll remove it.” The youngest Wayne stood, his chair scraping against the floor.

Bruce grabbed his arm. “Sit down.”

“Father! I—”

“Now.”

He plopped down arms folded over his chest. He fixed Dick, Cinder and Jason with a glare.

“He’s mostly harmless. Unless you put a sword in his hand.” Dick whispered.

After they had all eaten, Cinder turned to Bruce. “Mr. Wayne, you said you wanted to discuss contingencies this morning? Before we get started, I was wondering…I have some friends who also want to see Levana’s reign end. Would it be all right, if they joined us here?”

“Who are they?”

“The Rampion Crew. Captain Carswell Thorne, Cress Darnell, Scarlet Benoit, Ze’ev Kesely, and Iko…she’s an android.”

“Do you know where they are?” Bruce laid his paper on the table.

“No, I don’t unfortunately. I’ve only seen Winter, my step cousin a handful of times. She tells me what she can, but it’s sketchy at best.”

Zatanna took a sip from a coffee mug. “I can try a locator spell.” 

The muscles in Bruce’s jaw worked. “While Zatanna locates them, I will be running thorough background checks on all of them. I hope you understand, Miss Linh.”

Cinder had been hunted for six months before her aunt caught her. Safety was paramount. “Of course. And so you’re not surprised when you find it. Captain Thorne is a wanted man in several countries. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a full-on manhunt out for him. He is-was a thief. Cress is trying to make him see differently.”

“And yet you vouch for him?”

“I would trust him with my life.”

Bruce grunted as he stood. “I’m sure you would like a shower. Dick, show our guest to a room.”

The oldest Wayne leaned over. “He’s like that with everyone.”

“Glad it’s not just me.” She stood. “But that shower sounds heavenly.”

“Right this way.” 

*~*

Cinder walked down to the Batcave where Zatanna’s locator spell searched the globe. “Any luck?”

“Mm, some. It keeps flashing in and out, which is weird.” 

“Are you trying to locate all of them or one in particular?”

“All of them.” Zatanna turned, half of her face glowed yellow from the holographic globe next to her.

“Perhaps, try just Scarlet or Thorne?” Cinder suggested. “They’re Earthen and don’t have the Lunar DNA of Wolf or Cress.”

“Wolf?”

“Ze’ev. He was one of the queen’s special operatives. The wolf-soldiers as Dick calls them. He escaped.”

“Is he trustworthy?” Bruce sat in a chair in front of enough computer screens to make Cress go weak at the knees.

“He trained me to use my gift. He’s a big teddy bear unless Scarlet is in danger.” 

“Found them!” Zatanna stared at a glowing red dot.

She had Cinder’s attention. “Where are they?” 

“Central City.” 

“Where is that?”

“In the middle of nowhere.” Batman moved to the holograph. “I doubt Flash could move all of them without drawing attention.”

“I can Zeta there and lead them here.” Zatanna offered. 

“I’ll reach out to Flash and let him know of your arrival.” Bruce returned to the computers. “Be careful.”

“Always. I’ll see you soon. Once I get there I’ll give you an update on how long it’ll take us.”

“You weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?” Dick joined them. 

“Well I was hoping a certain boy wonder would show up.” Zatanna winked at him.

He draped an arm over her shoulder. “So you summoned me, huh?”

“Oh totally.” She poked his side. “Did you call Canary?”

“No, I fell asleep pretty much as soon as I sat down last night. And then I had a nightmare and Jason showed up and read Austen to me until I conked out again.” Dick lowered his voice and if it hadn’t been for Cinder’s audio processor, she wouldn’t have heard him.

“Call her, Dick.” Zatanna ruffled his hair before moving to the other side of the cave.

Yellow light burst out of an opening. “Zatanna, two-five.”

When everything faded back to normal, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to put Emma in here because I feel like the fandom sometimes forgets that Jane Austen wrote other books. Also, I'm sorry, this is where POV kinda goes to shit because there are about to be A:LOT of people...soooo sorry.


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More friends show up and they all hide from Levana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So again, this is kinda where POV goes to shit, there's a lot of people and it's hard to remember who's point of view you're in when that happens. So I tried. I'm also editing this myself, so please be kind. This one isn't quite the frankenchapter the last one was, but it's still pretty long.

Dick typed up a report in the cave’s computer womb. He’d just returned from patrol. Nothing had really happened, but small-time crooks were having a field day. The Lunar thaumaturges and special operatives were so concentrated on finding where Dick, Jason and Cinder had disappeared to, that they had overlooked the actual criminals. No wonder she bled Luna dry.

The largest screen flickered to life. “Zatanna to Cave.”

Dick accepted the transmission. “Hey there, Z.”

“Nightwing.” Her face brightened when she laid eyes on him. Then her eyebrow quirked up. “Please tell me you’re wearing pants.”

“Why would anyone answer a video call without pants on?” A male voice commented out of view.

Zatanna pinched the bridge of her nose. “You see what I’ve been dealing with the last two weeks?”

“You volunteered.” Dick had to stifle a laugh. “And in answer to your question, yes I am wearing pants. I just got back from patrol and wanted to fill out my report. But it’s hard to type in the suit.”

“A likely story.”

“And it even happens to be true.” He winked at her. He didn’t realize how much he’d missed her company. Usually Bruce or Jason were the ones taking her transmissions and providing support along the way. 

“We should be there by tomorrow, provided nothing else goes wrong.” She let out a breath.

“Else?”

“The honorable Captain-who-isn’t-actually-a-captain got his foot caught in a trap. It’s been slow going across the mountains.”

Dick grimaced. He’d been caught in one of those courtesy of the Joker. “Is the bone broken?”

“Unfortunately, I left my x-ray machine in my other suit. He’s staying off of it. Ze’ev keeps the predators at bay, so that’s nice. Speaking of Ze’ev and predators, keep an eye on Jason…I have a feeling those two are going to get along like oil and water.”

“I’ll do my best. Hopefully he won’t bite me again.” He rubbed the spot on his arm. Jason’s newly enhanced teeth hadn’t done much damage, but there was still a dip in the bone of Dick’s arm.

“He bit you?” Zatanna’s eyes grew wide.

“Yeah, right after B rescued him from Arkham. He’s been working out a lot lately and spending a lot of time in my room.”

“Nightmares?”

Dick nodded.

“His or yours?”

“Both. And before you ask, I’ve been meeting with Canary. She’s helping me work through it.”

“Good.” Zatanna yawned. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. “I’m glad you’re getting help.”

“Do you guys need a pick up?” 

“And risk you all getting caught?” She shook her head. “We’ll be fine. Has the queen showed her hand?”

“A few thaumaturges showed up last week. But thanks to B’s paranoia we had enough warning to hide in the cave. If their special ops smelled us, they didn’t let on.” That had been a long night. The three fugitives had hardly dared to breathe until Alfred came down and gave them the all clear.

“How’d Damian react?”

“How does he normally react to things? He was all blustery anger and then he pouted.”

“He’s adorable for sure. Talk and see you tomorrow Nightwing.” 

“Tomorrow, Z. Be safe.” Dick waved at her.

“Honestly, if anyone needs that admonishment it’s you boy wonder.”

“Oh no, I think the transmission is going out. Krsh Z I can’t kzt you’re breaking up.”

“And you wonder where Damian gets it from.” She rolled her eyes. “Zatanna out.”

The screen went blank. Dick laughed as he leaned back in the chair, his hands behind his head.

“You know, if you asked her out, she’d probably say yes.” Jason dragged a chair over to him.

“We’ve got a good thing going. Don’t want to ruin it with a label.” Dick shrugged.

“Which is code for I’m too chicken to do anything about it.” 

Dick bristled at the words. He wasn’t chicken. He narrowed his eyes at his brother. “Is there a reason you decided to grace me with your presence?”

“Nah, just…restless I guess.” Jason shrugged.

“Can’t go outside without risking the Lunars finding us.”

“Yeah and it sucks.” He propped his feet up on the console. “And B is acting weird.”

“Weird how?”

Jason ran his hands through his hair making it stand up straight. “It’s hard to explain. He’s treating me like I’m fragile.”

“Probably his own special brand of bat-guilt.” Dick let out a breath. This could go sideways in a hurry. “Honestly, I think he’s concerned about what they did to you at Arkham.” 

“Like concerned cause they’re psychotic or his keeping kryptonite on hand in case Supes went rogue paranoia?”

“Both?”

“At least you’re honest. Still pisses me off that he does that, but I don’t think he’ll ever change.”

“We are talking about the same guy, right?” Dick laughed. Bruce’s inability to change was something that they’d just gotten used to. They’d all tried to make him realize that his way of doing things wasn’t always the best. The closest they’d ever come was when Tim became Robin, and that had only happened cause Bruce swore he wouldn’t lose another child the way he’d lost Jason.

“Good point.” Jason stood with a spine popping stretch. “You wanna spar later after you’ve slept? Damian scratches and I’m tired of dealing with that.”

Dick fought down a yawn. “Sure. I’ll find you when I’m up.”

“Later, goldie.”

*~*

Dick was on pins and needles waiting for the rest of the “Rampion Crew” to show up. Thankfully, everyone else was just as antsy. Damian had picked a fight with everyone in their family, except Alfred. Bruce and Jason's tempers fed off of each other. And Dick, he was anxious to see Zatanna. 

Learning the truth about his heritage and everything that transpired after left him raw. He would be dealing with it for years according to Canary. But he was still a tactile person.   
He needed touch. Needed to be held. Canary hadn’t so much said he should redeem what the queen had taken, but she’d heavily implied it.

That led to more questions. Was he taking Jason 's teasing about Z too seriously? Was he actually interested in her? Or was it because she was there and unattached? Dick raked his fingers through his hair. Why did this all have to happen now? They were trying to topple a dictator for crying out loud.

Zatanna said they'd arrive today. Hopefully that meant sooner rather than later in the day. 

Dick paced in his room. He’d never been good at waiting. Ever. That was the thing Bruce got onto him about the most during Dick 's tenure as Robin. That and his early inability to hide. Not that a child dressed up like a traffic light was the best choice for blending into the shadows. A knock at the door. interrupted his thoughts. “Come in.”

Alfred stepped inside arching a salt-and-pepper eyebrow. “Master Dick, I doubt that wearing a hole in the rug will make Miss Zatanna appear. Come down for lunch and we'll see if we can't find something useful for your energy.”

Heat flushed on Dick 's face. Was his pining that noticeable?

“Of course, Alfie. What's on the menu?” 

“I’ve made a pot roast, if you must know.” The butler tucked his hands behind his back. “I figured a trip down culinary memory lane would be in order.” 

“What would we do without you?”

“You would all die from either starvation or from lack of proper medical care.” The old butler dead panned.

“Fair point.” Dick shrugged. “We would have been lost long ago.”

“I highly doubt Master Bruce would have survived to adopt the rest of you had it not been for my care.”

“You're a saint, Alfie. I'll be right down.”

Alfred left closing the door behind him.

He ducked into the bathroom and splashed water on his face. Get a hold of yourself. Walking around in circles helped absolutely no one. 

*~*

Lunch hit the spot. The cut it apart with your fork tender meat made Dick think of Sunday afternoons at the manor. Back before Robin got handed off to Jason, then Tim, then Damian. Those days it was just Bruce, Alfred and Dick. Members of the Justice League joined them on occasion. They had all mostly finished the meal, when a crash echoed in the   
entry way followed by a pained cry.

Half a dozen chairs nearly toppled over as their occupants bolted to their feet. 

Bruce was the first one on the scene. “What is going on out here?” 

Dick, Jason and Cinder followed close behind him. Six people laid in a heap on the marble floor. 

“Iko!” Cinder rushed forward to help a dark-skinned girl with blue braids stand up.

“Cinder?” Iko threw her arms around the cyborg’s neck. “Stars above I thought I’d never see you again!”

“I’m fine thanks for asking.” The smaller of the two men tried to move away from the pile.

“Captain, your ankle.” A short blonde girl knelt next to him. 

Standing in the doorway, Alfred let out a shrill whistle. “If you would all kindly untangle yourselves and explain how you came to be here, I believe that would ease some of the chaos.”

“Thanks Alfred. Somebody’s knee was digging into my side.” Zatanna glared at the larger of the two men as she squirmed free.

“Sorry, Z.” He ducked his head. 

Jason tensed next to Dick. 

He elbowed his brother. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Jason ground the words out between clenched teeth.

“You’re snarling at the tall guy over there.”

The person in question glared back at Jason. It looked like they were both on high alert and ready to attack.

“Wolf?” A red-haired woman laid a hand on his arm. “What’s going on?”

“Wolf? Like one of the queen’s soldiers?” Jason snapped. If Dick hadn’t fought by his side over the years, he wouldn’t have noticed his brother’s subtle weight shift. 

“Whoa there Jaybird. Let’s calm down.” Dick pressed a palm into Jason’s chest.

“We should all probably get down to the cave. There were Thaumaturges in the area.” Zatanna bit her lip.

The muscles in Bruce’s jaw clenched. “Newcomers, Dick, Jason, Cinder, and Zatanna to the cave. The rest of you back to lunch in case we have surprise visitors.”

“Where are we going?” Iko slipped her arm through Cinder’s.

“There’s a huge cave under the house.” The cyborg followed Dick and Jason into the study. “Cress will love it.”

“If we’re going to a cave, why are we in a study?” The man called Captain hobbled along on a makeshift crutch. 

“Thorne, if anything goes missing from this room, you won’t want to face Bruce’s wrath.” Zatanna crossed her arms.

“Was that the big guy who told us to go down to the cave?” 

Dick stopped in front of the grandfather clock. “You don’t know who Bruce Wayne is?”

“Course I do. Just didn’t know if you did.” 

Cinder slapped a hand to her face. “Thorne, you’re talking to his sons.” 

“Good one, Princess.” Thorne laughed. 

Dick turned the hands on the clock’s face to 9:18 and waited for the panel in the wall to move. “Have you noticed no one else is laughing?”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yes, now would you go? I’m not getting dragged back to Arkham.” Jason growled stepping through the opening.

Zatanna leaned in close to Dick. “Is it just me or is he jumpier than usual?”

“Something happened when he saw Wolf, which is gonna get confusing fast.” He whispered. “And knowing Jay like I do, I have a pretty good guess as to why.”

She tilted her head to the side. 

“You know how he gets when he sees crowbars?”

Zatanna nodded. “So he's associating what the queen did with the Joker?”

He hadn’t considered that part of it.

“I think he sees that guy as an instrument of torture. Like how Joker used the crowbar.”

“Well this adventure just got a whole lot more complicated. And that guy is named Ze’ev.”

*~*

Down in the cave, they found Jason and Ze’ev snarling at each other.

Dick took a step forward to separate them, but Cinder grabbed his arm. “Not yet.”

“They'll kill each other.”

“If they don't test their boundaries now, they will later.” Her metal hand squeezed around his wrist. “Wouldn't you rather that happen in an environment that's safe?” 

“And Ze'ev has enough control not to kill.” The red-haired woman spoke up from Cinder's other side.

“I'm sorry, you are...?” He still thought letting them fight it out was a bad idea. 

“Scarlet, I'm Wolf -Ze’ev's- Alpha.”

“I don't need to know what kind of stuff you guys are into.” He held up his hands. 

Scarlet quirked up an eyebrow.

Dick waved a hand. “Never mind. You really think letting them fight is a good idea, Cinder?”

The Cyborg nodded to the two men circling each other.

He hated to admit that she had a point and it looked like the beginning stages of a sparring match.

“It'll be fine.” Zatanna nudged his shoulder. “I've travelled halfway across the country with these guys.

“Yeah but they're also not in your super-secret home either.”

Her eyes narrowed before she stalked off.

Dick let out a breath time to make sure no one else would bring the cave’s security system down. He found the short girl... Cress? Standing in front of the computer. Her blue eyes wide as saucers as she took it in. 

“You okay?”

The girl jumped turning to face him. “It's gorgeous.”

That was a first. No one had ever called the bat computer gorgeous before, not even Tim who acted like it was an extension of him.

“Uh, sure. I guess.”

“I used to be a hacker for her majesty. Well, before Cinder and the Captain rescued me.”

“You're Lunar?” 

“Technically. I'm a shell.” Her cheeks flushed red.

She was like him, but if the queen’s thaumaturge could be believed there weren’t any living shells.

“How did you escape?”

Cress stared at him. Not that he blamed her, he probably sounded like a lunatic. She’d just told him Cinder rescued her.

“I mean, before the satellite. She hates shells…or was that after you were born?”

The girl played with the ends of her blonde hair. “The infanticide laws went into effect when the queen’s parents were murdered. But no one knew that the—” She cleared her throat. “The discarded children were taken below ground.”

“Infanticide laws?” Dick stopped her.

“The queen ordered parents to bring their shell children to the palace for—to kill them.”

“But she didn’t?”

Cress shook her head. “She used them for their blood. The plague and its antidote are made from shell blood platelets.”

“That psychopath. No wonder people tried to get away.”

“Beside her tyrannical rule, why are you interested?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m Lunar, too. And a shell, though I just recently found out about it.”

“How?”

Before he could offer any sort of explanation, a clang resounded in the cave disturbing several bats from their perches. He raced to Scarlet and Cinder who stood off to the side of   
the training area where Ze’ev had Jason pinned down.

“What happened?” 

Scarlet shrugged. “They fought. Ze’ev won. There isn’t much else to tell.”

Ze’ev stood and extended a hand to Jason. Dick had just opened his mouth to explain that his brother was the resident hot head and not to expect much when Jason accepted the   
man’s help.

Dick’s jaw dropped. 

Jason dusted his pants off once he was on his feet. “You’ll have to square off against Damian while you’re here. That kid needs his ego brought down a notch.”

“How old is he?” Ze’ev ran a hand through his hair making the brown locks stand up. 

“He’s 13 and the most arrogant little shit in existence.” 

“Probably would have given my brother a run for his money.”

Before they could start comparing terrible brothers, the elevator dinged. 

Dick’s stomach clenched. Please don’t be the Lunars. He wouldn’t put it past them to make Bruce show them the cave. Not that he’d be able to resist them if they used   
bioelectricity. 

His heart settled back into its normal rhythm when Clark rolled his wheelchair onto the landing. “They’re gone.”

“Thank the stars, finally.” Cinder leaned against the railing that separated the batmobile’s runway from the rest of the cave.

“Bruce does want all of us to stay down here for a while longer until he’s sure they won’t return.” 

“Even you?” Dick raised an eyebrow.

“They weren’t too thrilled by my presence.” Clark shrugged. “So I’ve been asked to come down, and Alfred mentioned there was a gentleman with an injury.”

“Thorne, he’s over in the trauma bay.” Dick nodded to the lone figure relaxing on one of the beds. “Before you go, I want to test something.”

“What’s that?” Clark peered at him.

“Cinder, can you pick up any bioelectricity off of Clark?”

The cyborg closed her eyes. Her forehead crinkled in concentration. “No, I can’t. Is he a shell, too?”

“Not exactly.”

A slow grin spread over Clark’s face. “I’m Kryptonian. The Lunars must not be able to sense me which throws them off.”

“Wasn’t Krypton destroyed?” Cress knotted her hands in the fabric of her dress.

“It was. I’m the sole survivor of my people.” 

Iko folded her arms. “I thought Superman was the sole survivor of Krypton?”

“Think about that for a sec.” Cinder elbowed her in the side.

Iko’s jaw dropped as she stared at Clark without blinking.

“Did your processor short circuit?” Scarlet snapped her fingers in front of the girl’s face. 

She dropped to the floor with a hand over her eyes.

“What are you doing?” Cinder poked her with her foot.

“I’m in the presence of Superman, I fainted.”

Clark tilted his head to the side. “How is she talking? I don’t hear a heartbeat.”

“I apologize for my friend. She’s an android, but she acts like a human most of the time…or at least how she thinks a human would act.” Cinder nudged the girl again. “You know if you get off the floor, he’ll probably talk to you.”

“That would melt my processor.” Iko moved her hand to glare at Cinder. 

Jason stepped closer to her. With a wink at Cinder, he lifted Iko into his arms. “If the fair maiden has collapsed, we should make sure she’s taken care of.”

Iko's eyes snapped open. “Cinder! Oh my stars, am I dreaming?”.

“Nope. 100% awake.” Jason grinned as he ser her down.

“You're probably going to have a fangirl for life.” Thorne sat up.

“Eh, I've had stranger things happen. But seriously, Iko, you gonna be okay?'

She nodded.

Clark wheeled himself over. “I take it you're the one with the injury?”

“I stepped in a bear trap. I'm fine though.”

The Kryptonian narrowed his eyes. “The bone is cracked in several places. No doubt hiking over the Appalachians didn't help. I'll let Alfred know it needs to be set.”

Thorne glanced around. “You can do that here?”

“You'd be surprised at what kind of medical attention we vigilantes need.” Dick scoffed. His patience wore thin, it was strung just as tight as Bruce's on a normal day. “How much longer do you think we’ll have to stay down here, Supes?”

“Hard to tell. A good bet would be until Alfred comes down.” The man of steel shrugged.

Dick stalked off. He needed to process what he’d heard. He needed distance. He needed to do something. He stared at his old robin costume in its memorial case. 

“Earth to Boy Wonder.” Zatanna nudged his shoulder. 

The corners of his lips twitched. “Hey, Z. You come to say, ‘I told you so?’”

She leaned back against the railing along the catwalk. “Thought about it, but no. Though you don’t seem like you’re feeling the aster. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Something that will probably not end well.” 

“Then may I selfishly ask that you not do it?” She turned to face him.

“Why selfishly?”

“Cause I want you to stick around awhile.” She played with the ends of her hair. “I know we’ve always had this casual thing, but maybe I want something else.”

“Seriously?” Dick’s heart thundered in his chest.

Zatanna bit her lip and nodded.

“Is that likely to change anytime in the near future? Like if we were suddenly not being ruled by a tyrant?”

“Since I’ve been feeling it for a while, no.” She pressed her hands to either side of his face. “Tell me you’re not about to do what I think you’re about to do?”

“I’ve got to stop her, Z. I’m probably the only one besides Cress that can.” 

“Don’t do this. We’ll find another way.”

“She can’t control me. What other way is there? Cinder and the rest of the people down there tried and failed. So maybe it’s time we helped…we’re heroes after all.”

She grabbed a fist full of his shirt. “She may not be able to control you, but she wants you dead. I’ve seen the wanted posters, Dick. For you, for Jason, for Batman.”

“I will come back.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I promise.”

“There’s no convincing you otherwise is there?” She laid her head on his chest.

“Could anyone convince Wally not to run with Impulse or the Flash?”

She drew a sharp breath. “That’s not fair, he didn’t know what would happen.”

“Every time we suit up there is a chance we won’t walk away. And if it helps rid Earth of Levana, I’m willing to give it a shot. Tell me you wouldn’t do the same?”

She stood on tip toe and pressed her lips to his. “You better find a way out of this Dick, or I swear I will bring you back so I can kill you myself.”

“Yes ma’am.” Dick squeezed her. Hopefully it wouldn’t be the last time he suited up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where I was wanting to wrap up the story and I don't know things just feel-bleh-about it.


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick is a self sacrificing idiot...need I say more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of scene changes, Dick is a self-sacrificing idiot, and a surprise at the end.

Dick turned the ignition on his motorcycle. If this was going to work, he needed to go before anyone tried to rationalize him out of it. The queen had farmed out infants as weapons of biological warfare, and if that weren’t bad enough, she’d lied about it. 

No one in the Justice League, Young Justice, or Teen Titans would ever let a villain get away with something like this. They just usually didn't go in alone. But with the queen's lunar gift, and Clark confined to a wheelchair, he couldn't risk anyone else going with him. 

Tears stung the backs of his eyes. _Mama, Tata, as much as I miss you both I hope we won't be reunited tonight.*_ Had they known he was a shell when they left?

He revved the engine. When he was done, no lunar parent would be forced to give up their child... gift or no gift.

The motorcycle screeched to a stop outside the Gotham Grand Hotel. He doubted the queen had moved from her residence in the penthouse. That was fine, all the easier for him to find her.

Dick removed his helmet and locked on the back of the bike. 

He pushed his way inside. Past the concierge, past the security guards, past the row of elevators that would stop before the penthouse. 

The door of the last elevator opened, like the queen expected him. 

That didn’t bode well.

He rode up to the top floor. The doors opened with a ding. 

Nobody had made a move to stop him. Were the guards so used to relying on their gift to alert them to intruders? Or was he just used to Batman’s elevated paranoia? Probably the latter.

He stepped off the elevator, his heart hammering against his ribs. He remembered the way to the queen’s bedroom. A shudder of revulsion passed over him as he neared the threshold. _Make sure she can’t hurt anyone else._ He fought down the bile churning in his gut. 

He slipped inside the room. Two forms visible under the bed coverings. He pulled his escrima sticks from the holster on his back. He leveled one at the queen’s chest. The electric charge wouldn’t kill her, but it would incapacitate her for the time being. 

Before he could lower the charged end, something grabbed his arms. 

“I really didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to come back here.” Levana flicked the light on as she sat up.

“Your regime ends, Levana.” Dick struggled to free himself from the vice-like grip.

“Are you really so naïve, Mr. Grayson? You think I don’t know where you’ve been hiding? Or who you’ve been with?”

Ice settled in his chest. She knew. She knew everything.

“Leave them alone.”

“It’s far too late for that.” She slid out of the bed. The hem of her nightgown trailed behind her like a train. “Let’s see how much fun we can have before your guardian arrives.”

*~*

Bruce stared out the window at the dark Gotham skies thankful for the cities perpetual cloud cover. 

A knock drew his attention. 

“Come in.” He grunted. 

“Ah, I see you’re aware of the batsignal.” Alfred entered the room and closed the door behind him. “Shall I inform Master Damian of a patrol?”

“No.” Between Dick disappearing the way he had and the batsignal lighting up the night sky, all signs pointed to a trap. One he didn’t want his youngest son involved in. 

“What shall I tell him?” 

“I hope to have the situation in hand before he has a chance to find out.”

“Shall I have Master Jason assist in keeping Master Damian contained?” 

Bruce let out a snort at the Butler’s sarcastic tone. “Yeah, I’m sure Jason would love to help.”

“Does this have anything to do with Master Dick running off?”

“Nothing concrete, but I suspect so.” Bruce shoved his hands into his pockets. “Wish me luck, Alfred.”

The Englishman laid a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “I wish you the best of luck, sir. Bring Master Dick home alive.”

Bruce nodded as he made his way to the Batcave. He would bring his son home, no matter what. 

The batmobile roared out of the cave, Bruce not caring in that moment who saw or heard it. A tracking beacon embedded in Nightwing’s suit pinged on the in-dash GPS. 

Stationary, barely a mile from City Hall and the batsignal. The queen had him, there couldn’t be another explanation. 

After they got out of the situation, they would be having a long discussion about taking on villains alone.

*~*

Dick’s wrists were bound together and then bound to the chair he sat in. His ankles duct taped to the chair’s legs. The Lunar flair for dramatics was on full display. Maybe that was where he’d gotten it from. He’d always been a natural showman. Now he realized that may have been more from his Lunar heritage than his circus upbringing.

The door to the plain room swung open. Levana, now dressed in something less revealing, entered followed by Thaumaturge Park. 

“Don’t you think this is overdoing things a little?” Dick tried to tug his arms free.

Levana stopped in front of him. “I’m sure someone raised by the infamous Batman knows how to get out of tight places. So, to make sure you stay here, no I don’t think it’s overdoing it.” 

“Suit yourself Queenie.” He rolled his shoulders to ease the tension on them when Selina walked in.

“You called for me, Your Majesty?” She dipped her head. Her gaze flicked to Dick when she bowed.

“Yes, it would seem that our young shell here didn’t learn his lesson the last time he was in our company.” Levana settled into a chair along the wall. “You will see that he remembers this for the rest of his days.”

“My queen?” Selina tilted her head to the side. “I’m not sure I take your meaning.”

“You don’t need to.” The queen flicked her wrist. With stiff movements, Selina made her way out of Dick’s line of sight. “Did you think I didn’t hear or couldn’t see what happened when last we four met?”

A hand tipped with cat’s claws slammed against Dick’s chest. Selina’s warm body pressed against the exposed skin of his neck. 

“Your majesty, I did as you asked.” 

“You did. Which is the only reason for my mercy this time.”

Selina relaxed at his back, the expansion and contractions of her ribs no longer revealing her panic. “Thank you, my queen.”

“I had intended to have you tear his heart from his chest.” One corner of the queen’s mouth tilted upward.

The claws dug into Dick’s chest, piercing through the Kevlar lined Nightwing suit and his skin. A scream tore from his throat. He pressed his body back into the chair, desperate to get away.

The sharp pressure lifted, the only evidence that it had ever happened was the blood now staining the front of his suit.

“What would you have me do, my queen?” Selina’s voice shook.

Levana’s mouth twisted into a cruel smile. 

The claws dragged down his face leaving a trio of gouges in their wake. 

*~*

Jason marched down to the trauma center of the cave. “Thorne, you know how to fly?”

The man sat up, arching an eyebrow. “Is water wet?”

Jason jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Then you’re with me.”

“Not to be a damper on the whole hero thing, but I’ve got a busted ankle.” He pointed to the white cast encircling his left leg below the knee.

“You were hobbling around okay enough earlier today.” Jason growled. “My idiotic family rushed head long to meet the queen. I need to stop them and I never learned to fly the batwing, so you have to.”

“Uh if they’re going up against Levana, how do you think she’s gonna react to reinforcements coming?”

Jason went silent. He was doing the same thing they had. “Rush headlong into the fray and to hell with the consequences” should have been the Wayne family motto. He drew a breath. If he was going to rescue them, he’d need more help. “What did you have in mind?”

“Bring Cinder with us.” Thorne swung his legs off the bed. “She can keep Levana from making us do something to cause anyone else harm.”

“Fine.”

Soon the three streaked toward Gotham. The locations of both Batman and Nightwing registered on the GPS. Jason sat in the co-pilot’s seat. He switched the radio on, tuning into the frequency Batman always used.

“B, can you hear me?”

“Jason, what are you doing?” Batman’s voice ground out over the speaker.

“I could ask you the same thing. ’Wing needs our help, but if Levana gets in your head…who knows what she’ll make you do.”

“We can’t leave him there.”

“We’re not.” Jason wanted to bang his head into a wall. Trying to cooperate with Bruce often had that effect on their family. “I’ve got Cinder with me. She’ll do her Lunar mind thingy and keep us out of Levana’s control while we rescue the Golden Boy.” 

“What are your coordinates?”

“Coming up on your position.” Thorne shouted.

Jason punched the pilot in the shoulder. “Dude, the mic is right here, he can hear you.” 

“You let him fly?” 

“You were supposed to teach me, but the whole Joker thing happened.” 

“I’m sending you coordinates to land.”

“See you in minute, B.”

*~*

Bruce landed on the rooftop with all the grace of a pile of bricks. Nightwing’s tracker blipped out for a moment before coming back online and moving to a new location. Thorne changed course. Their new coordinates were City Hall’s helipad. 

Levana stood at one end of the flat area. Dick, in full Nightwing gear, knelt in front of her. His arms were bound behind his back and a blindfold covered his eyes. 

Bruce rolled his shoulders as the thud of Jason’s boots and Cinder’s metal foot assured him it was time to move.

“I was beginning to wonder if you’d come at all.” Levana called to him. “Mr. Grayson and I have been anxiously awaiting your arrival.”

“Let him go.” Bruce growled, letting the modulator drop his voice an octave.

“I’m afraid that won’t happen. He’s my citizen by birth and should have been handed over with the other worthless shells.”

“Your reign is over Aunt Levana. You’re only delaying the inevitable.” Cinder held her hands up in a placating gesture.

Dick stiffened trying to move his head away from something. The sun glinted off a strip of metal near his throat. A knife. 

“If you want to kill him, by all means keep moving.” 

“Bats, take her down.” Dick shouted. 

The knife moved. Bright red blood trickled down his neck. 

“Get your hands off my brother, you bitch.” Jason leveled a gun at her head.

“How cute, you all thought you could actually defeat me? And letting my niece control you, so I couldn’t.” Levana tipped her head back in a laugh. She grabbed a fist full of Dick’s   
hair and yanked his head back to expose his neck. She held the blade still. “If you think for one moment that I will let any of you see the light of day tomorrow, you are sadly mistaken. 

Before Levana could move to slit Dick’s throat, a blade erupted from her chest. She blinked a couple of times. The knife clattered to the ground below. The blade withdrew letting her slump to the ground. Damian, dressed in his League of Shadows gear, scowled at her.

“No one harms my family.”

*~*

They were going to see him die. There was no question about that. Though he didn’t understand why Levana had gone through the trouble of having Selina mark him up first if   
she was just going to kill him now. When the cutting edge of the knife left his throat, he just about fell over with relief. She’d stopped talking, but no one else was picking up the slack. That’s when Damian’s raspy voice broke the silence.

Terror gripped his chest. The queen wasn’t above murdering children. “Lil D?” 

“I’m here, Grayson.”

“What’s going on?” He squeezed his eyes shut against a blinding ache when someone removed his blindfold. They laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and gasped. No doubt at the   
state of his face. He blinked through watery vision. Damian, face drawn, knelt before him.

“We’re rescuing you, idiot.” Jason growled moving past him. 

With the snap of ropes, his hands were free. He immediately pulled both brothers into an embrace. “Thank you.”

“You didn’t think we’d actually leave you here, did you?” Jason ruffled his hair.

“I would have deserved it, going off like I did.”

“Which I have your word you won’t do again?” Bruce stalked over Cinder in his wake.

“No. I won’t. There’s a reason we have backup. Though in my defense I didn’t want to risk you all falling under her control.” Dick smiled up at his father. 

Cinder waved a hand. “That’s what you have me for.” 

Bruce turned his attention to the youngest Wayne. “Which brings me to another thing. You know the rules Damian. We don’t kill.”

“She was going to kill Grayson!” 

“That doesn’t change things.” Bruce folded his arms.

“I know, justice not vengeance.” 

“Give the kid a break, B.” Jason interrupted. “Sometimes there are no other courses.”

Bruce glared at his second oldest. “I’m aware, which is why I won’t be doling out a punishment for it when we get home.” 

“Speaking of home.” Dick draped an arm over his father’s shoulders. “Can we go?”

Bruce grunted his agreement. 

“I should stay here.” Cinder rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m the heir to the Lunar throne and I’ll need to assert that quickly.”

“And your friends who are currently in my home?”

“I’ll come for them tomorrow, if that’s okay. I need to settle a few things first.” 

“I’ll inform them when we get back.” Bruce nodded to her. “Damian with me.”

“Quick question, little D. How did you get up here?”

Before the teenager could answer, Superman floated to the helipad’s surface. “I believe I can answer that for you.”

Dick’s jaw dropped. “What? Weren’t you in a wheelchair yesterday?” 

“My powers have slowly been coming back. Today they returned in full force just as Damian was about to storm out, so I offered to help.” The man of steel nodded. “And not a moment too soon from the looks of things.”

Bruce grunted.

“What was that Batman, I’m not sure I heard it?” Superman grinned.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And now, I would suggest we get home as I’m sure there are people who would like to see us whole and healthy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost feel like this is anti-climatic...but I really just wanted to finish. So, here it is in my rushed I just want it to end glory.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they all lived happily ever after

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. It's done. I hope you all enjoyed the ride.

Dick blinked at the light streaming through his window. He’d spent the majority of the previous night getting patched up, again. Then he’d talked to Zatanna a little more about the “I want to be more than friends” bomb she’d dropped on him. She explained that she’d had feelings for him for some time, but the timing had been wrong until now. He thanked her and while he did have feelings for her, he wasn’t sure how to categorize them yet. He needed to talk to someone who wasn’t biased, usually that meant Jason. Unfortunately, when he’d gone to seek out his brother, he’d found the younger man wrapped in Iko’s embrace. That would be an interesting relationship if things worked out for them.

He made his way downstairs where Alfred had a continental breakfast set out. Probably because there were a lot of people in the house with vastly differing schedules. Dick carried a bowl of cereal into the living room to see if anyone else was up yet. Jason sat on the couch, nose deep in a book while Iko gave the TV her full attention.

He recognized Cinder standing in front of City Hall, flanked by Winter and Emperor Kaito. “I would like to announce to the good people of Earth, that Levana’s reign has unexpectedly come to an end. As the lawful Lunar heir, I am ascending the throne as queen. I will be meeting with the leaders who were in power before my aunt seized control of your world. Please rest assured that I will return the rule of Earth back to her people.”

“She did it!” Iko cheered springing to her feet.

“That she did. She’s a good person, I’m sure she’ll make an even better queen.” Dick nodded and tucked into his cereal again.

“I need to go tell everyone else!” She grinned dashing out of the room.

Dick plopped down in Iko’s vacated seat. Jason looked up, raised an eyebrow and went back to reading.

“You look like you’re in pain, Dickiebird.” He shifted so he wasn’t taking up as much of the couch.

“Did you miss the gashes on my face?” Dick rolled his eyes. “But actually I needed to talk to you. Tried to do that last night but you were busy.”

The tips of Jason’s ears turned pink. “Yeah I was. You saw that?”

“Your door was wide open. I shut it for you so you wouldn’t have to hear B’s responsibility speech.”

“She’s an android so I don’t think that’s gonna be an issue.”

He laughed. “Speaking of…how are things gonna work out with you two?”

“Don’t know yet. Cinder will likely take a while returning power to Earth leaders, so we’ll see how things progress.” Jason shrugged. “I’m assuming you didn’t want to talk to me about that.”

Dick blew out a breath. “No. It’s Z. She wants a relationship and I don’t know what I should do.”

Jason’s head was tilted back at his book. “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of wife.”

“Are you just reading at me to get me to leave?” He narrowed his eyes. “Cause you just had to say so.”

“Seriously? That’s from _Pride and Prejudice_ , not _Emma_.” His brother kicked him in the leg nearly sloshing milk over the side of the bowl. “And two, you’ve been pining for her for weeks only to not know how you feel? Get over yourself and tell her yes.”

“Thanks for the pep talk, Jay.” He stood and patted his brother’s back. “Let me know how things go with you and Iko.”

Jason waved at him.

*~*

After washing out his bowl, Dick searched the manor for Zatanna. His search ended in the Batcave where she typed coordinates into the Zeta Tube.

“Z! Wait!” He called racing to her.

“What’s wrong?” A panicked look crossed her face.

“You’re not leaving cause of last night, are you?” He reached for her hands.

The corners of her lips twitched. “And if it was?”

“Can I ask you to wait and hear me out?”

“I suppose I could spare a few minutes.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “What’s on your mind boy wonder?”

“I talked to Jason…to help clear my head and get thoughts in order.”

“And?”

“And if you’re still in on this whole labeled relationship thing, I am too.” 

She moved toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m glad.” She turned her face up to him and pressed her lips to his.

When they broke apart for air, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “So that means you’ll stay?”

“I’ll let you in on something. I have a league meeting at the watchtower, but yeah I’ll stick around.” She winked at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END!!!!   
> Sorry if it felt rushed.  
> I'd love to hear from you, just please be kind


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